The Effect of Relative Phosphate Replacement with Modified Potato Starch in Cocktail Sausage Formulation

Phosphates are used as stabilizers and emulsifiers in many processed foods. Phosphates are used in more than 65% of meat products. Due to the potential health risks of phosphate consumption and the tendency of consumers to buy phosphate-free or phosphate-reduced products, several studies have been conducted in recent years to replace phosphate in meat products. Due to the unique functional properties of phosphates, their complete removal is technologically challenging. The aim of the present study was to partially replacement of phosphate in cocktail sausages with modified potato starch. Effect of adding three types of starch including: Acetylated distarch adipate, Hydroxypropyl distarch phosphate and Starch sodium octenyl succinate at two levels of 1.35 and 2.7% compared to samples of sausages produced with commercial phosphate (Control sample - no modified starch) on physicochemical properties of sausage including pH, cooking loss, tissue firmness, microbial characteristics (coliform, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Clostridium perfringens, Salmonella and mold and yeast) and sensory characteristics (color, odor, texture and acceptance) were evaluated in a 5-point hedonic system during 30 days of storage (zero, 15 and 30 days after production). Replacement of phosphate with modified starch did not make a significant difference in the pH of the samples with the control. No significant difference (p <0.05) was observed in the cooking loss of samples containing 1.35% of modified starch with the control sample. The cooking loss was significantly higher in sausages containing 2.7% of modified starch with higher moisture content. All samples were microbiologically in accordance with Iranian national standards. Formulated sausage samples were not significantly different (p <0.05) from the control at time zero. After 30 days of storage, the microbial load of treatments containing 1.35% of acetylated diastarch adipate and hydroxypropyl diastarch phosphate were less than the control. Increasing the amount of starch to 2.7%, regardless of their type, increased the microbial load.  In this study, the most desirable formula in terms of quality were sausages containing 1.35% modified hydroxypropyl diastarch phosphate starch and sausages containing 2.7% modified sodium starch actinyl succinate starch were less desirable compared to other formulations.