Abstract

Naem is a traditional Asian fermented sausage made from the mixture of raw meat, cooked rice, garlic, salt, sugar, spices, and sodium nitrite. With consumers more concerned with healthy food choices, Hibiscus sabdariffa (HS) can be used as substitute for sodium nitrite in Naem preparation. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of HS on the sensory, quality, and physicochemical analyses of Naem products. Four concentrations of HS were evaluated in this experiment: 1) 0%, 2) 1%, 3) 3% and 4) 5% HS. Treatments were analyzed for sensory evaluation by using a 9-point hedonic scale (trained panelists = 38). Physicochemical characteristics were evaluated for color (L*, a*, and b* values), pH, water activity, moisture (%), ash content, and lipid stability (TBARS). In addition, nutrition profiles, lactic acid bacteria, aerobic plate counts, Escherichia coli, and Listeria spp. were completed. SPSS with one-way ANOVA was used to evaluate any significant differences with p<0.05. The sensory evaluation revealed that Naem prepared with 3% HS had the highest overall acceptance scores (5.76), flavor (5.81), and taste (5.66). In addition, fermented Naem with 3% HS showed the highest scores of acceptability (92.2%), purchase intent (71.1%), and lactic acid bacteria counts (5.41 log CFU/g). The initial pH values, water activity, moisture (%), and ash content in this experiment ranged from 5.44-5.57, 0.93-0.94, 63.17-64.94%, and 1.51-1.74%, respectively. There was a significant (p<0.05) on color after 7 days storage at 3°C. Specifically, a* values were decreased in all treatments. The control treatment obtained the highest TBARS values (0.83 mg MDA/kg). No E. coli or Listeria spp. were detected. The results of this study indicate that Hibiscus sabdariffa can be used as a natural spice for Naem products which may help the meat industry increase market share through this innovative product.

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