Meat products to fit the wellness trend

CONSUMER demand for nutritionally balanced food products, including meat products, continues to grow. Wellness, convenience and added value are part of this trend. In meat products health is closely linked to lowering the fat content, and the number of fat-reduced meat products in the market is constantly increasing. Inulin, a soluble fiber derived from the chicory root, is an ingredient often mentioned on the ingredient list of these products. Different insoluble fibers are also being used with varying success. The advantage of those is the very high level of water binding and good process stability. Nevertheless the influence of insoluble fiber on fat reduction in meat products is limited, since only small amounts can be added without reducing the smoothness required by customers. That's where the specific technological properties of the soluble fiber inulin offer interesting possibilities. Standard products, such as frankfurters with about 25% fat, have a pleasantly smooth structure and provide the full mouthfeel consumers want. Of course, just exchanging components rich in fat for leaner meat can reduce the fat content. This type of light product has a fat content of around 10%, but the resulting fat-reduced products do not comply with the standard as regards mouthfeel. Producing genuine full-flavor 搘ellness?products with an even lower fat content therefore requires new approaches. Fat substitute properties The soluble fiber inulin has outstanding properties as fat substitute based on the formation of a particle gel with water under shear force. The resulting gel has a creamy, fat-like texture that gives the desired mouthfeel in fat-reduced products. In contrast to insoluble fiber with high water binding capacities and immediate viscosity effects, the properties of inulin as fat substitute are based on water immobilization during particle gel formation. Inulin is neutral in flavor and does not have an impact on the sensory properties. The outstanding properties of Orafti inulin as fat substitute are already being used in numerous products in the food industry. They also offer interesting possibilities for the production of meat products in the various product groups (Table 1). Inulin offers advantages in a broad range of different types of meat products and is easy to handle. This natural ingredient presents great possibilities for the production of light wellness sausages, which in structure and taste match the standard. By using the technological properties of Orafti inulin soluble fiber, a new product range can be developed that is full in flavor and at the same time extremely low in fat. At the same time these wellness products provide interesting nutritional benefits. Inulin, a soluble fiber that can be used as fat substitute, enables meat products to be re-formulated for the wellness trend Technological aspects Second-generation meat products with inulin as a fat substitute are characterized by full flavor and low fat content. In practice several factors determine the success of a new application (Table 2). Inulin is easy to use, improves the structure of the end product and also gives a higher yield. Consumer demands for light products full of flavor can be met in full without having to modify the usual process parameters. Selecting the suitable type of Orafti inulin, which is available in various forms and degrees of purity, can control the structure of the end product. Depending on the application, the optimum result is achieved with these different products.

Frankfurters and other sausages.

Frankfurters are an impressive example of the successful use of inulin as a fat substitute. Without modifying the process parameters and based on the standard recipe, the fat content of the end product can be reduced to just 5%. In oAir Jordan XIII Slippers