LIPID OXIDATION AND SENSORY CHARACTERISTICS OF FRESH AND CURED SAUSAGES FROM ALPHA-LINOLENIC ACID-ENRICHED PORK

Forty-eight female piglets were raised with four levels of alpha-linol enic acid (0, 1.5, 2.5, 3.5%) to determine the effect of dietary fat o n the fatty acid composition, sensory and storage stability of pork pr oducts. The degree of polyunsaturation in neutral lipids and phospholi pids were increased significantly by the dietary LNA. The thiobarbitur ic acid reactive substances (TBARS) values of freshly prepared breakfa st sausages with vacuum packaging remained low, but those of the loose ly packaged, i.e., nonvacuumized, sausages increased more than 3 times during the 48 h storage period. The TEARS values of breakfast sausage s frozen-stored for 3 months shelved extensive lipid oxidation. The di etary LNA treatments and packaging had significant effects on the susc eptibility of breakfast sausages to lipid oxidation. However, the oxid ative stability of cured products was not affected by the dietary trea tments. The results indicated that the pork enriched with polyunsatura ted fatty acids could be used in cured products or uncured meal produc ts protected by 'hot vacuum packaging' without any sensory or quality deterioration due to lipid oxidation.