Emulsion gels based on pork skin and dietary fibers as animal fat replacers in meat emulsions: An adding value strategy to byproducts

This study aimed to investigate the effect of canola oil-emulsion gels (EGs) stabilized by pork skin and dietary fibers to replace the total content of pork back fat in emulsified meat products. A Plackett-Burman (PB) design was carried out to select the best ingredients (pork skin gel (PSG), inulin, polydextrose, alpha-cyclodextrin, and bamboo fiber) for the functional properties of the EGs. Three variables (PSG, inulin, and bamboo fiber) were select for the full factorial design to choose the best combination of ingredients for EGs enhancement. PSG, inulin, and bamboo fiber contributed to increasing the stability and the rupture stress of the EGs, the rupture strain of the EGs was increased only by PSG. Bamboo fiber was also associated with an increase in the meat emulsion stability. Besides, the meat emulsions incorporated with the EGs presented emulsion stability and pH very similar to those observed for meat emulsion made with pork back fat. These results show that EGs made with PSG and dietary fibers are an alternative ingredient to replace pork back fat in the manufacture of emulsified meat products, considering the nutritional aspects and the valorization of byproducts of the meat industry.