Underutilized green banana (Musa acuminata AAA) flours to develop fiber enriched frankfurter-type sausages

This article belongs to the Special Issue Optimizing Foods for Health: The Effect of Processing on Properties and Digestibility.This study aimed to develop a fiber-enriched Frankfurter-type sausage by incorporating underutilized green banana flours as a meat extender, replacing wheat flour with banana flours (8%). A low-fat formulation substituting 12% pork fat with 24% banana peel flour was also studied. Sausages were stored at 4 °C/15 days. Cooking loss was low (5.6–4.1%) in all formulations and the substitution of wheat flour with banana flour did not modify moisture and protein composition, while carbohydrate, fiber, and ashes varied with the flour composition. In the low-fat sausages, fiber carbohydrate and ashes increased the most. Texture and color parameters were very similar for high-fat sausages throughout storage, although low-fat sausage showed higher hardness, while chewiness, L*, and whiteness tended to decrease. During the first week of storage, the microbial growth was scarce and then, an increase, except in the low-fat batch, in which growth remained constant. Enterobacteria and Staphylococcus aureus were not detected during storage. Sensory attributes throughout storage were very similar for all high-fat sausages; the odor in the formulations was defined as “different” but not unpleasant. The low-fat sausages, defined as a new product different from conventional sausages, were well accepted by the panelist. Banana flours are a suitable ingredient option to add nutritional value to Frankfurter-type sausages, which can be consumed by the wheat allergic population.The authors are grateful to Dirección de Investigación y Desarrollo (DIDE) and the Technical University of Ambato-Ecuador for support through the project’s financial approval by resolution 1313-CU-P-2015 Development of active biodegradable films from rejection banana flour (Musa genus) and its application (Project code PFCIAL17) and for the financial support provided by State Research Agency (AEI) from Spain and European Regional Development Fund (FEDER), through project NANOALIVAL AGL2017-84161 and by CSIC through project 202070E218.Peer reviewe