Dried Vegetables as Potential Clean-Label Phosphate Substitutes in Cooked Sausage Meat

While phosphates are key additives in sausage production, their use conflicts with consumer preferences for “natural” foods. In this study, we investigated the potential of using vegetables as “clean-label” phosphate substitutes and their effects on water holding capacity, consumer acceptance, color, softness, and tenderness. Six freeze-dried vegetables with a pH above 6.0 were added to sausage meat on a laboratory scale. Adding 1.6% freeze-dried Brussels sprouts or Red Kuri squash resulted in a similar weight gain (7.0%) as the positive control of 0.6% commercial phosphate additive. Higher vegetable concentrations (2.2–4.0%) caused a significant increase in weight (p ≤ 0.05, 10.4–18.4% weight gain). Similar stress was needed to compress sausages containing 1.6/4.0% Brussels sprouts (14.2/11.2 kPa) and the positive control (13.2 kPa). Indentation tests also led to similar softness results for the sausages prepared with 1.6/4.0% Brussels sprouts (15.5 kPa/16.6 kPa) and the positive control (16.5 kPa). A force of 1.25 N was needed to shear the positive control, while 1.60 N/1.30 N was needed for the samples (1.6/4% Brussels sprouts). In summary, the present study indicates that freeze-dried vegetables have the potential to effectively replace phosphate in meat products.