Effect of bitter orange or sweet orange juices on the characteristics of beef sausages

This study evaluated the effects of replacing water with bitter orange and pear orange juices on the properties of beef sausages. Three formulations were prepared: control with water (F1) and two experimental formulations with bitter orange juice (F2) and pear orange juice (F3). Moisture, protein, lipid, ash, carbohydrate content, pH, water activity, shear force, and instrumental color were analyzed. Formulations complied with legislation for moisture ( 12 %), and lipid (< 30 %) content. Moisture content ranged from 55.96 % (F3) to 60.32 % (F1), with the reduction in F2 and F3 attributed to the soluble solids in the juices. Protein content remained stable across formulations (22.24–23.39 %), reflecting the consistent meat proportion. Lipid content varied significantly, with F1 (15.25 %) showing the lowest value and F3 (19.29 %) the highest due to altered lipid retention influenced by acid-matrix interactions. F2 exhibited the highest acidity (0.40 g 100 mL – ¹) and the lowest pH (4.68), leading to the lowest shear force (56.68 N). Due to particularities in the preparation, meat and fat portions were analyzed for colorimetry. Lighter sausages with lower redness (a*) values in F2 (5.20) and F3 (4.48) compared to F1 (8.50), and higher yellowness (b*) in F2 (7.26) were observed for the meat portion. The total color difference (ΔE*) values indicated noticeable differences, particularly for F2 and F3 in the meat portion and F3 in the fat portion. These findings demonstrated that orange juices can modify the properties of beef sausages, enhancing their functional attributes, offering opportunities for the development of new food products.