Nutritional composition, shelf life and sensory characteristics of cow blood sausages formulated with low-value meats and cereal fillers

Abstract

Meat processing generates large quantities of by-products that are often underutilised despite their high nutritional value. The development of value-added products such as blood sausages may contribute to improved sustainability and waste reduction within the meat industry. This study investigated the nutritional composition, shelf life, and sensory properties of cured cow blood sausages formulated with low-value meats and cereal fillers. Four cow blood sausage formulations were produced. The sausages were formulated with either common salt (NaCl) (Sausage A) or curing salt (Prague powder; blend of sodium nitrite and nitrate) (Sausage B), these two formulations contained no fillers. The remaining two formulations were formulated with Prague powder and included fillers; one contained 20% low-value meats (Sausage C), and the other contained a combination of 15 % low-value meats and 5 % cereal fillers (Sausage D). The sausage formulation prepared without curing agents was used as the control treatment. The curing salt had no significant effect on the nutritional composition of cow blood sausages (p > 0.05). However, it reduced lipid oxidation during refrigerated storage at 4 °C from 0.40 to 0.35 MDA and increased redness, as indicated by significantly higher a* values from 8.15 (common salt) to 10.37 (curing salt). The addition of fillers significantly (p < 0.001) improved the nutritional composition of the sausages, with Sausage C yielding the highest proximate, particularly protein, polyunsaturated fatty acids, and minerals (Fe, P, Zn, Mn). The protein of sausages with fillers was approximately 16.4% compared to 14.6% in sausages without fillers. No significant differences in amino acids or minerals were observed between formulations containing fillers, indicating that substituting 5% of cereal for low-value meats was insufficient to alter their composition. Formulation D demonstrated higher oxidative stability and sensory acceptability, with a score of approximately 6.85, indicating slight to moderate acceptance, followed by formulation C (6.51), while sausages without fillers were rated as neither liked nor disliked. Overall, the obtained results indicate that cow blood sausages formulated with low-value meat by-products and cereal fillers, particularly the combination of 15% low-value meat and 5% cereal, can serve as an affordable, nutritious, and sensory acceptable meat product with enhanced oxidative stability during refrigerated storage.