Development of Frankfurter Sausage Manufacturing Using Emu Meat

Abstract

Emu meat is distributed as a healthy foodstuff in the United States and Australia; however, its processing properties remain unclear. This study aimed to reveal the chemical and processing properties of emu meat for the manufacturing of frankfurter sausages. Compared to pork thigh meat, emu thigh meat showed higher protein content and significantly lower fat and cholesterol content. Also, emu thigh meat contained six-fold higher iron content than pork thigh meat. The addition of salt to minced emu thigh meat produced a paste with higher gel strength and lower extraction of salt-soluble proteins than that of pork thigh meat. The color of emu meat paste, developed using a color-producing reagent, was more stable against heat treatment than that of pork meat. Based on these results, we successfully developed emu meat frankfurter sausages using an optimized process. The sausage was characterized by high protein and iron contents and low fat, salt and calories as well as good physical properties and coloration.