Acceptable Inclusion Levels for Selected Brown and Red Irish Seaweed Species in Pork Sausages.

Commercially available Irish edible brown ( Himanthalia elongata -sea spaghetti (SS), Alaria esculenta -Irish wakame (IW)) and red ( Palmaria palmata -dulse (PP), Porphyra umbilicalis -nori) seaweeds were incorporated into pork sausages at 1%, 2.5%, and 5%. Proximate composition, salt, water-holding (WHC), cook loss, instrumental colour analysis, texture profile analysis (TPA), and sensory analysis were examined. Protein (13.14-15.60%), moisture (52.81-55.71%), and fat (18.79-20.02%) contents of fresh pork sausages were not influenced ( p > 0.05) by seaweed type or addition level. The ash content of pork sausages containing PP, SS, and IW at 2.5% and 5%, and nori at 5%, were higher ( p < 0.05) than the control sample. In comparison to the control, sausages containing nori, SS, and IW at 5% displayed higher ( p < 0.05) WHC. Cook loss was unaffected ( p > 0.05) by the addition of seaweeds into sausage formulations, compared to the control and within each seaweed. The addition of seaweeds into sausages had an impact on the surface colour (L* a* b*) and texture profile analysis (TPA) at different inclusion levels. Overall, hedonic sensory acceptability decreased ( p < 0.05) in cooked sausages containing PP at 2.5% and 5%, and SS and IW at 5%.