Effects of substituting rice flour for wheat flour as fillers at varying levels in beef sausage production

Abstract

Wheat flour, which is an ingredient in sausage production, was substituted with rice flour in beef sausage. Five batches of beef sausage were prepared in which wheat flour was substituted with rice flour as follows: control (batch 1; 0% rice); batch 2 (25% rice); batch 3 (50% rice); batch 4 (75% rice); batch 5 (100% rice). Cooking and refrigerated weight losses, nutrient composition and some sensory characteristics of the sausages were determined. Data were subjected to one – way analysis of variance in a completely randomized design. Percentage cooking weight loss was lowest in batch 5 (1%) and highest in batch 1 (2%). Percentage refrigeration weight loss was highest in control (5.76%) and lowest in batch 4 (3.20%). All parameters of sensory evaluation were significantly (P < 0.05) different between batches except for saltiness and overall flavour. Batch 4 was most preferred for colour, being ‘liked moderately’ while other batches were ‘liked slightly’. Tenderness decreased as the level of rice inclusion increased. Batch 4 had the highest score for overall acceptability, being ‘liked slightly’, compared with the control that had the lowest score at ‘intermediate’, meaning that the panellists were indifferent about its acceptability. Proximate composition of the sausages showed that batch 5 had the highest crude protein, ash and ether extract of 12.42, 4.20 and 2.40 %, respectively. Therefore, beef sausages can be produced using rice flour at both 75% rice and 100% inclusion levels as this favours the product’s resistance to diffusion thus favouring its storage stability.