Effects of L-Arginine on Physicochemical and Sensory Characteristics of Pork Sausage

The objective of this study is to investigate the effects of L-arginine on physicochemical and sensory properties of pork sausage. CL decreased while pH increased with L-arginine levels (p<0.05). WHC increased at 0.8% L-arginine, but decreased at 0.2% L-arginine, compared with the control. L* decreased while a* increased at 0.4-0.8% L-arginine, compared with the control. Hardness, springiness and chewiness increased at 0.2-0.8% L-arginine (p<0.05), compared with the control. SEM illustrated that the addition of 0.6% L-arginine induced myofibrillar proteins to form a more smooth, compact and uniform gel matrix. DSC disclosed that the addition of 0.6% L-arginine increased the two thermal transition temperatures (Tp). The sample containing 0.6% L-arginine had higher sensory color, flavor, mouthfeel and slice traits than the control. Therefore, L-arginine showed a potential for improvement of yield, texture and sensory qualities of pork sausage.