HP treatment changed the biochemical characteristics of the low fat
breakfast sausages compared to untreated samples. A significant effect
of HP and phosphate level used was observed for some of the quality
parameters analysed in this study. The application of HP at 150 MPa
or the reduction of phosphate levels to 0.25% did not affect significantly
the overall firmness, texture and overall acceptability of the product
compared to untreated samples. Texture parameters of hardness, adhesiveness,
cohesiveness and chewiness were significantly improved in
breakfast sausages made using HP-treated meat at 150 MPa using
phosphate levels of 0.25% compared to sausages manufactured with
untreated meat containing phosphate levels of 0.5%. The stability of
the emulsion was unaffected by the application of 150 MPa or the
elimination of phosphate; however, HP treatment at 300 MPa affected
negatively the functionality of the low fat sausages. Overall, the results
showed that the application of HP treatment at 150 MPa for 5 min at
ambient temperature has great potential for reducing phosphate levels
in low fat breakfast sausages to 0.25% without significant changes in
their functionality.