Development of sausage products from lean pork – Rich in protein and low in fat

A healthy diet without having to give up food taste and quality is becoming ever more sought after in today‘s world. Overweight and the diseases of affluent society such as atherosclerosis, diabetes and high blood pressure are amongst other things due to the excess intake of cholesterol and fat from animal products.

Working in collaboration with the master butcher Josef Pointner from Mindelheim, researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Process Engineering and Packaging IVV have now succeeded in manufacturing a low-calorie, tasty and succulent sausage product having a fat content below 3%.

The low-fat sausage is manufactured using conventional machinery from selected ingredients which include lean pork, traditional herbs and spices and water, without the addition of further fat. The especially gentle manufacturing process combines a defined shear stress in the cutter, specific processing time and a very precisely controlled temperature profile. The result is optimum protein treatment. When manufacturing sausage for spreading, the addition of specially developed lupin protein gives the product excellent creaminess.

The new Fraunhofer sausage makes an important contribution to a modern, tasty and at the same time calorie-conscious diet. The exclusive use of lean meat and the best ingredients coupled with optimum process management for the sausage manufacture mean that the calorie content is reduced by 60-80% without impairment of the taste or consistency. In addition, the innovative manufacturing process is very economical because conventional sausage-making machinery can be used for the production. The new sausage is already available in most EDEKA shops throughout Germany under the name »VielLeicht« and is proving very popular.