Effects of lemon fiber addition on some quality properties of sucuk with reduced fat amount

Sucuk, one of our traditional meat products, has a negative image due to its high fat content and is frequently avoided by consumers. In order to eliminate this negative consumer opinion, various studies are carried out by researchers and producers to reduce the fat content of sucuk. Reducing the fat content in sucuk alone cannot be achieved by using less fat in the formulation. Various methods are being developed to increase the acceptability of reduced-fat sucuk. In this study, it was aimed to produce sucuk with reduced fat content and to reduce the quality defects that occur as a result of reducing the fat content of sucuk with the use of lemon fiber in production. Within the scope of the study, 6 different sucuk doughs containing different ratios (24% and 28%) and (0%, 1% and 2%) lemon fiber were prepared and production was carried out. Afterwards, physical, chemical, microbiological, textural and sensory analyzes were carried out at certain stages (sucuk dough, post-fermentation and post-drying). As a result, it was determined that there were no significant differences in terms of protein, moisture, salt, collagen, aw, pH, color, TBARS, loss of weight, Enterobactericea number, lactic acid bacteria count, cholesterol, Na-Nitrite and Na-Nitrate values between sucuk samples with different formulations. Adding lemon fiber to sucuk reduced weight loss and cholesterol values. The effect of fiber addition on cooking loss was found to be very significant. The minimum cooking loss values were determined in the sucuk with a formulation containing 24 % fat and 2 % lemon fiber. According to the results of the sensory analysis of the cooked sucuk, the sucuk with formulation containing 24% fat and 2% lemon fiber were the most admired sucuk samples in terms of smell, taste, texture and general appreciation scores. It was concluded that the use of sucuk dough with a formulation containing 24% fat and 2% lemon fiber may be appropriate in the production of low-fat sucuk.