Effect of adding chickpea (Cicer arietinum) and flaxseed (Linum usitatissimum) flour on the production of a cooked chorizo as an inclusion of fibre

Title : Effect of adding chickpea (Cicer arietinum) and flaxseed (Linum usitatissimum) flour on the production of a cooked chorizo as an inclusion of fibre

Abstract:

Sausages are economically important meat products and provide an excellent opportunity for the development of functional foods through the incorporation of dietary fibre, a nutrient that is typically absent from conventional formulations. This study aimed to develop fibre-enriched sausages and evaluate their physicochemical and sensory characteristics, as well as the effects of 14 days of refrigerated storage on product quality. Five formulations were prepared using flaxseed flour (4.48 and 8.95%), chickpea flour (6.93 and 13.86%), and a combination of flaxseed (4.48%) and chickpea flour (6.93%), calculating contributions of 0.75 or 1.5 g of dietary fibre per 65 g serving. A control formulation containing 3.5% potato starch was included for comparison. The incorporation of flaxseed and chickpea flours did not significantly affect purge loss, cooking yield, pH, shear force, or the L^* and a^* colour parameters. However, the formulation containing 8.95% flaxseed flour exhibited lower b^* values, indicating reduced yellowness. The addition of dietary fibre sources significantly influenced the sensory acceptance of flavour, aroma, texture, and overall liking, while colour acceptance remained unaffected. Consumer preference was highest for the control formulation compared with the fibre-enriched treatments. Refrigerated storage for 14 days affected only the sensory perception of texture, which received significantly higher acceptance at day 14 than at day 1. These findings demonstrate that flaxseed and chickpea flours can be incorporated into sausage formulations to increase dietary fibre content while preserving key physicochemical properties. Future research should focus on developing more sustainable sausage formulations by replacing a greater proportion of meat with hydrated dietary fibres without compromising consumer acceptability.

Keywords: Consumer acceptance, Dietary fibre, Functional foods, Meat products, Physicochemical properties.

Biography:

Adela Acosta Marchetti serves as the Head of the Department of Food Science and Technology at Zamorano University, based in Honduras, Central America. Her teaching and research focus on innovation in meat products and the development of high-protein, high fibre foods, with particular emphasis on nutritional enhancement and the revalorization of co-products through upcycling. She is also deeply engaged in improving food packaging materials and systems, as well as in the design of efficient and sustainable industrial spaces. She leads outreach initiatives and provides consultancy services to the food industry and other development sectors across the region.