New Functional Product from Horsemeat in Sauce

Introduction. The priority task of the food industry is to provide population with functional products since the health of nation and its people largely depends on the diet. New formulations and technologies for meat products broaden the range of functional foods. Flaxseed oil is an excellent source of functional ingredients as it is rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids and tocopherols. The present research featured horsemeat as a promising raw material of high nutritional and biological value. Horsemeat is a traditional food source for many nations. The research objective was to develop a new technology for horsemeat in sauce and to select the optimal thermal processing method. Study objects and methods. The authors tested several methods of heat treatment and used a standard nine-point scale to assess the sensory properties of the finished product. The experiment involved standard physicochemical and organoleptic research methods. The color characteristics were described using digital image processing. Results and discussion. The study delivered a new formulation of sauce with flaxseed oil, which improved the quality of the fat component of the finished product. The new sauce proved to be rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids and possessed high sensory and technological properties. A comparative analysis of the heat treatment methods included traditional frying and stewing, cooking in a steam convection oven, and a sous-vide technology. The sous vide technology appeared to have the best structural-mechanical, physicochemical, and sensory properties. Software processing of digital images made it possible to compare the color of raw, semifinished, and cooked meat samples. The traditional cooking methods of frying and stewing showed the most pronounced changes in the color, while the sous-vide technology demonstrated a smooth color change. As for the quality of the finished product, it proved to satisfy 40% of daily intake for polyunsaturated fatty acids and 20% for tocopherol, which makes the product functional. Conclusion. The new technology made it possible to expand the range of functional meat products. The new digital image processing program helped to register changes in shape and color of meat samples after various heat treatment methods.