fat with inulin was investigated using mixture design to optimise
product formulations. Mixture design is a specialised form of response
surface methodology (RSM) in which the factors are ingredients/
components of a mixture and the response is a function of each ingredient.
The factors are proportional and must add up to 100% (dependent)
unlike traditional RSM were the factors are perceived as independent
of each other (e.g. time, temperature). Design of experiment (DOE)
strategies, such as mixture design, are efficient approaches to reducing
experimental workload in an efficient and cost-effective manner,
while at the same time allowing for the successful assessment of
experimental factors using an approach which ensures that the most
important factors are identified and assessed (Leardi, 2009). Therefore,
the principal objective of the present study was to perform a detailed
characterisation and optimisation of the effects of inulin as a healthier
alternative to fat in sausages using a mixture design approach.