1. IntroductionWhile lean meat is a

1. Introduction
While lean meat is an important component of a healthy diet as it
contributes protein and essential fat-soluble vitamins and minerals
(McAfee et al., 2010), the reduction or removal of fat and salt from
meat products is desirable from a health perspective as high consumption
is linked with many chronic health conditions e.g. cardiovascular
disease (Kaliora & Dedoussi, 2007). A sausage batter is an emulsionlike
system made up of a suspension of fat globules (dispersed phase)
in a protein–water solution (continuous phase) (Morin, Temelli, &
McMullen, 2004). Fat contributes to essential quality attributes in sausages
(e.g. texture, flavour, appearance) and also plays an important
role in governing the binding properties of proteinmolecules. The structural
integrity of sausage batters is governed by the strength of the
interacting forces within the protein network and the binding of free
water within this network on mixing and subsequent heating (Morin
et al., 2004). Therefore, fat removal or substitution represents a significant
technical challenge.
Many fat reducing strategies have been investigated in meat products
involving a number of different substitutes e.g. gels (Jiménez-
Colmenero et al., 2012) and gums (Lin & Huang, 2003), whey protein
(Sampaio, Castellucci, Pinto e Silva, & Torres, 2004), and hydrocolloids,
such as carrageenan and starches (Candogan & Kolsarici, 2003). Inulin
is a natural storage oligosaccharide of various plants, typically part of
the Compositae family, including chicory, dahlia and Jerusalemartichoke
(Barclay, Ginic-Markovic, Cooper, & Petrovsky, 2010). It consists of linear
polyfructose chains joined together by β (2-1) linkages, with almost
every molecule terminating with a glucose unit (Tárrega, Torres, &
Costell, 2011). Inulin forms opaque gels at high concentrations when
mixed with water. The manner in which it traps water results in lubricant
and flow properties that are similar to those of fats (Yackel & Cox,
1992). These unique properties are the reason inulin has been identified
as a promising ingredient for structuring in reduced or fat-free foods
(Teeuwen, Thoné, & Vandorpe, 1992) and it has been shown to be a
successful fat mimetic in a variety of food products e.g. cheese
(Hennelly, Dunne, O'Sullivan, & O'Riordan, 2006), quick breads (Röβle,
Ktendioudaki, & Gallagher, 2011) and fermented sausages (Mendoza,
Garcia, Casas, & Selgas, 2001). Inulin is not absorbed by the small intestine,
but is extensively fermented by colon bacteria. As inulin possesses
a high dietary fibre content and prebiotic properties, it is considered to
be a functional food ingredient (Arihara, 2006).
The general approach of the previous studies that have examined
the addition of inulin or fructo-oligosaccharide (FOS) to meat products
has been to examine the technological and quality parameters of low
fat products (fat replaced by extra lean meat), with inulin added in
place of rusk (Hayes, Auty, & Allen, 2011; Selgas, Cáceres, & García,
2005). In the present study, an alternative strategy to directly substitute