Vegetarian “Sausages” with the Addition of Grape Flour

Abstract

Vegan sausages with the addition of grape flour represent a way to reduce the intake of processed meat and at the same time to increase the intake of a healthy substance of plant origin. Grape flour obtained from grape marc as a byproduct of wine production is a source of many bioactive substances, such as antioxidants and polyphenols. The study was conducted using vegetarian sausage production: six batches of sausages with different concentrations of grape flour (0%, 1%, 3%, 7%, 10%, and 20%) were produced. The following analyses were applied for the evaluation of these vegetarian sausages: ferric reducing antioxidant power assay (FRAP), 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) diammonium salt (ABTS), total polyphenolic content, total protein content, and textural and sensory parameters. The results clearly indicated that the grape seed flour addition resulted in a higher antioxidant capacity of experimentally produced vegan sausages. Based on the sensory evaluation, vegan sausages with 1% (according to taste evaluation, these samples were the most acceptable by panelists) and 3% additions of grape flour were selected as the most suitable since they were statistically more acceptable than samples produced with 20% grape flour addition. The results of this study confirm that the addition of grape flour to vegan sausages is nutritionally beneficial for consumers because it increases the antioxidant capacity and polyphenol content; however, a slight decrease in protein content was recorded too. The sustainability of the product is also achieved using the grape flour since it is a waste material generated worldwide within grape processing.