Watermelon Peels and Rinds as a Food Preservative and Additive in Pork Longganisa (Sausage)

抄録

Food products in the Philippines mostly use synthetic preservatives, including the curing powder for pork longganisa (sausages) (PL), a widely consumed cured meat. Currently, there is an emerging trend to look for natural alternatives to increase the nutritional value of food while ensuring its stability during storage. In Sibalom, Antique, 41.9% or 11,250pcs. of watermelons are surveyed to be rejected and left on the field to rot after harvest. The development of these rejects as food preservatives and additives from the rinds and peels of red-fleshed "Sweet 16" (RF16) and yellow-fleshed "Sweet Gold" (YFSG) watermelons was conducted. The peels and rinds were oven-dried at 60OC were powdered and added at 6% to the PL. A positive control using Prague powder (PRP) and a negative control (NC) were used alongside the treatments. The sensory evaluation results showed a significant difference in odor among the PRP, RF16, and YFSG samples on day 16. Meanwhile, no significant differences were found between the color, texture, and flavor of all samples. The free fatty acid content of PRP and NC increased on day 27, whereas it decreased for RF16 and YFSG, suggesting better shelf-life stability. When analyzing the nutritional content, no significant differences were observed in the moisture content of all samples, whereas the crude fat content did not differ between YFSG and PRP. Crude protein was highest in PRP, whereas the crude fiber content of YFSG and RF16 was significantly higher and even increased on day 27. The use of watermelon peels and rind powders from the rejects was comparable to that of the commercial preservative, as it further improved the nutritional content and shelf-life stability of pork longganisa, promoting a circular food system that can also be introduced to a wide variety of food products.