The manufacture of dry-fermented analogues needs to be carefully designed as ingredients, microbial cultures and processes may affect the organoleptic characteristics. Thus, hybrid plant-based products where animal ingredients are partially replaced by plant-based ingredients can meet sustainability and nutritional interests, although their sensory characteristics may be affected. Therefore, it is essential to determine the effect of these partial replacement on the quality of dry-fermented hybrid sausages. For this, three different sausage formulations were manufactured under equal fermentation conditions: a control formulation containing 100 % animal ingredients (EC), and two hybrid formulations replacing half of animal batter by texturized pea protein and coconut oil (EG50) and one supplemented with oat flour (EG50A). Physico-chemical parameters, microbial counts by plate count, volatile profile by SPME GC–MS, texture by texture profile and sensory properties by quantitative descriptive analysis were determined. Replacement of animal ingredients resulted in lower protein content, faster drying rate and pH decline produced by higher lactic acid bacteria counts, which affected Gram-positive cocci survival and volatile profile. Also, oat flour addition interfered with fermentation, accelerating pH decrease. The presence of ketones and acid compounds derived from vegetal ingredients in hybrid sausages, as well as long chain esters produced during drying, affected the final aroma increasing cocoa, nutty, cereal-legume, rancid and cheesy odors. Aroma and texture differences in dry-fermented hybrid analogues were due to microbial activity, batter structure and to the low proteolysis of the texturized pea, revealed by the lowest abundance of compounds derived from amino acid catabolism.

Financial support from MCIU/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 (Grants PID2021–122581OB-100 and CEX2021–001189-S to IATA-CSIC as a Severo Ochoa Center of Excellence, and PRE2022–103747 to S. Garcia-Solivelles) from Spain and “European Regional Development Fund (ERDF): A Way To Make Europe” is acknowledged.

With funding from the Spanish government through the ‘Severo Ochoa Centre of Excellence’ accreditation (CEX2021-001189-S)

Peer reviewed