Antioxidant properties of dried plum ingredients in raw and precooked pork sausage

Raw pork sausages with no antioxidant (control), 3% or 3% dried plum puree (DP), 3% or 6% dried plum and apple puree (DPA), or 0.02% butylated hydroxytoluene and butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA/BHT) were (1) stored raw in chubs at 4 degrees C (RR) and evaluated weekly over 28 d, (?) cooked as patties, vacuum packaged, and stored at 4 degrees C (PR) for weekly evaluation over 28 d, or (3) cooked, vacuum packaged, and stored at -20 degrees C (PF) and evaluated monthly over 99 d. DP at 3% or 6% levels was as effective as BHA/BHT for retarding lipid oxidation in PR sausage patties. Likewise, DP at 3% was equally as effective in PF patties, but DP at 6% was even more effective (lower TBARS values) than BHA/BHT for retarding oxidative rancidity. All treatments decreasedthe fat and increased moisture content of raw sausages but only 6% DP reduced cooking yields. Inclusion of 6% DP decreased internal redness while both 6% DP and DPA increased yellowness of raw sausage. Trained panel sensory evaluations indicated that DP enhanced sweet taste, decreased. salt and bitter tastes, and masked cooked pork/brothy, cooked Pork fat, spicy/peppery, and sage flavors, In general, warmed-over flavor notes ware not affected by storage treatments. Overall, pork sausage with 3% DP or DPA was as acceptable to consumers as, the control or those patties with BHA/BHT, but patties with 6% of either plam product were less desirable. Inclusion of 3% DP was effective as a natural antioxidant for suppressing lipid oxidation in precooked pork sausage patties.