Author : Chansamone Inthachack

Summary : The increasing prevalence of diet and lifestyle related diseases prompted the study on functional food products, specifically those products with high dietary fiber content. Coconut flour has been shown to have high dietary fiber content (60%) composed mostly of insoluble dietary fiber (56%). This study aimed to develop high-fiber sausages and to determine its shelf life. Standardization trials were conducted by varying the amounts of flour made from coconut residue, addition of phosphate and processing conditions. Result of the study showed that the addition of 10% coconut flour in the formulation was acceptable in terms of color, texture, flavor, juiciness, appearance and general acceptability. The sample with coconut flour was significantly softer than the sample without coconut flour. Addition of phosphate slightly improved the texture of the sausage. Storage study showed the samples kept in the chiller and freezer remained acceptable and free from microbial contamination for a period of six (6) weeks. The total dietary fiber content of sausage with coconut flour was 8.1 g/100g. Consumption of at least two (2) pieces at 20 g per piece will provide 16% of the daily requirement of dietary fiber of an adult. It is recommended that pilot scale production of high-fiber sausage be conducted to determine the technical viability of the process.