Effects of Freezing Method and Antioxidants on Lipid Oxidation in Turkey Sausage 1.

Rosemary oleoresin (200 ppm) was compared to a commercial antioxidant mixture of butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) (200 ppm) and citric acid in frozen and freeze dried breakfast sausages prepared with 18% mechanically deboned turkey meat. Analysis for malondialdehyde (MDA) revealed that both antioxidant treatments inhibited lipid oxidation during 5 weeks of storage. Rosemary oleoresin was comparable in activity to the commercial antioxidant mixture in the freeze dried products but not in the frozen products. Fatty acid analysis at the beginning and the end of storage revealed a selective decrease in certain long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids which was not related to treatment. Sensory analysis yielded a strong preference for the frozen sausages which was attributable to the poorer texture of the freeze dried sausages rather than to flavor deterioration.