Fermented and Structured Meat Products with Dietary Fibers for Reducing Fat Content

Dietary fibers consist of food components that are affected by the digestion process. Alginate is a polysaccharide naturally found in brown seaweed that has been traditionally used in food industry as thickener, gelling, and stabilizing additive. The studies with dietary fiber (such as alginate) have advanced beyond the traditional incorporation as ingredient to improve nutritional value to be used as structured animal fat replacers in meat products. One key example is the Prosella® gel (mainly composed of alginate), which forms a gel-like structure and can also emulsify an oil and improve the general nutritional value and functional properties of meat products. Current scientific evidence indicates Prosella® gel as a relevant ingredient to replace animal fat in fermented sausages and burgers. This fat replacer can provide a similar development of texture and sensory properties than its counterparts produced with animal fat. This chapter describes the preparation and incorporation of Prosella® gel in a traditional fermented sausage (Spanish Salchichón) and burgers.