Effects of oat fibre and carrageenan on the texture of frankfurters formulated with low and high fat

 The effects of fat level (5, 12 and 30%), carrageenan and oat fibre on the texture of frankfurters were evaluated using mechanical properties and sensory (taste panel) methods. Textural profile analysis (TPA) indicated that fat reduction decreased hardness, adhesiveness, gumminess and chewiness. In contrast, springiness increased when the fat content was reduced from 30% to 5%. No relationships between fat content and either Warner-Bratzler or Kramer shear parameters were found. Carrageenan and oat fibre differed in their effects on TPA values but the latter was more effective at improving texture. Taste panellists did not detect any differences in hardness, springiness or gumminess when fat was reduced from 30% to 5%, although increases in cohesiveness, chewiness, moisture release and lumpiness were observed. Overall acceptability of the texture decreased as the fat level was reduced. Carrageenan and oat fibre improved the acceptability of the 12% fat frankfurters, but neither ingredient offset the detrimental effects on acceptability of the texture when fat was reduced to 5%. The results demonstrate that carrageenan and oat fibre can partially offset some of the textural changes (juiciness, cohesiveness, lumpiness) which occur in low-fat frankfurters when added water replaces fat and the protein level remains constant.