New sausage with Omega 3 fatty acids and flavor 100% traditional already on the market

In a sector like the cárnico, the eagerness for differentiating of the competition has carried to good part of the manufacturers to a continuous presentation of new formats and changes of image, as well as to the development of novelties under the line ‘without', in reference to the absence of fats, phosphates, chemical preservatives and sodium. However, in the case of the functional foods, the sector cárnico hardly has given his first steps, on the contrary of what has sucedido in others, like the dairy. In this context, and in front of all the launchings in the field of the ‘without', some producers have incorporated to the reduced group of which include functional in his portafolio of products. “Some manufacturers have entered products in which it looks for a suitable balance of fats omega 6 / omega 3 in the linear, and also have begun to develop products with incorporation of fats omega 3”, argues Carlos Cerrillo Fontecha, manager of the company of the same name. And it is that recent scientific evidences have put ‘on the tapete' the clear relation between feeding and health, what has generated the fast development of the functional foods. “The nutricionistas insist in the need to improve the nutritional value of the meat by means of the combination with the consumption of pertinent products of the sea, whose composition fat is greater in content of omega 3. Durante more than a generation, has warned to the consumers of the need to reduce the consumption of saturated fats of face to reduce the risk to suffer coronary illnesses”, explains Carlos Cerrillo. “The animal fat, main source of saturated fats in the western diets, has been signalled –continues– like causante of diverse problems of health. Like this, of way generalised tends to produce foods with reduction of his original fat like the milk desnatada. Simultaneously, it has gone growing between the population the consciousness that no all the fats insaturadas have the same effect on the health. In concrete have spread the healthy properties of some fats poliinsaturadas as they are it the omega 6 and omega 3”.

Seen the seen, this SME riojana finishes to launch to the market a new functional food: a chorizo in sarta with high content in sour grasos Omega 3. The new product arises of the project of R&D ‘Incorporation of Omega 3 in the formulation of a traditional stuffing (Cerriomega)', that the company cárnica has carried out together with the Technological Centre of the Meat Sector of The Rioja (CTIC) and the Centre of Innovation and Alimentary Technology of The Rioja (APPOINTMENT). The investigation has made possible the obtaining of a product enriched with Omega 3, with greater value added, and whose formulation allows to include nutritional references in the labeling. Likewise, the sensory characteristics are the same in relation with the traditional formulation. In this way, it attains a chorizo in sarta that satisfies the demand of the current consumer, with a relation of fats more balanced by the incorporation of Omega 3 and that conserves, to the one hundred by one hundred, the flavour of the traditional chorizo.

From does nueve years, the manufacturer cárnico Cerrillo Fontecha is partner of the Technological Centre of the Meat Sector of The Rioja (CTIC). Along this period the relation with the centre “always has been positive”, according to the manager of this SME, of where arose the idea of the product that wished obtain through a project of R&D. By his part, the binomial CTIC-APPOINTMENT contributed his knowledges and experience in the sector to the investigation. After a year of work of the technicians of both centres, beside the professionals of Cerrillo Fontecha, obtained a stuffing with a balance of fats more balanced but with the same flavour that the traditional, as it recognises the spokesman of the company. Even so, in the conception of this new chorizo had to take into account that the acids grasos omega 3 are susceptible of a fast oxidation and other chemical changes because of the contact with the air, exhibition to the light, or to treatments during the processed. “Since the interest to use this type of fats in foods resides in his physical properties-chemical and physiological, is fundamental to take into account the limitations that suppose this type of processes of degradation and does necessary use methods of preservation of the fats omega 3 simultaneously to his incorporation in the food”, recognises Carlos Cerrillo. In front of the question of how achieves develop a product like this, with nutritional properties, without stops this vary his sensory characteristics, explains: “they Exist two types of alterations organolépticas associated to the process of manufacturing of this type of functional foods. The derivatives of the incorporation of a fat exógena, and that generally comes from of the fish that contributes smells very characteristic, and the derivatives of the processes of oxidation and enranciamiento, that mentioned previously”. In the first case, by means of the studies carried out, studied two possible solutions: the treatment of the fats, for desodorizarlas and the research of other sources of acids grasos, that did not come from of the fish. In the second case, realizar studies to end to avoid the oxidation lipídica back to the manufacturing of the product to suppresses, in addition to the loss of the physiological properties of the fat the apparition of undesirable aromas, as it details Carlos Cerrillo. The distinct proofs realizar contrasted by means of signpost of tasting, where descartaron the developments that produced smells or unpleasant flavours, to select finally the most suitable product.

The tests, involved both tasters of meat manufacturer as a taster of the own technological centres. The latter have a tasting room designed under the UNE 87004: 1979, 10 individual booths and a sensory panel consisting of 30 expert tasters, trained in the organoleptic characterization of various foods, which describe the products on the basis of its organoleptic characteristics of appearance, texture and taste in an objective way, selected and trained on the basis of the standards UNE and ISO. "This panel works, for three years, under this methodology, achieving good results of reproducibility and repeatability for multiple products." The basic training consists of initiation and training of judges in detection, recognition and management of basic flavors. "Specific training makes reference to the methodology with which to establish the smell-taste profile," says the Manager of meat Cerrillo. The results were "favourable", as significantly tasters as a whole has not detected any significant defect in the new product from the original. "In addition, over time, remained positive assessments of the most important attributes", says Carlos Cerrillo.

"Adapt to this new market isn't easy for small entrepreneurs due to the cost associated to innovate in traditional products and also to the legal difficulties to report on a functional ingredient labelling"

The majority of new releases with so-called functional ingredients of daily consumption, are products of vegetarian based or specific fats such as olive oil. The meat sector is minority in this respect, hence the importance of the project ' incorporation of Omega 3 in the formulation of a traditional sausage (Cerriomega'). "Adapt to this new market isn't easy for small business owners like us, because of the associated cost entailed in the search for innovation in traditional products (time, technicians, análisis… equipment), and also to the legal difficulties that exist at the time include claims in the labelling to inform consumers of the inclusion in the product of" "a functional ingredient", recognizes Charles Cerrillo. From the company, they hope that the release of the chorizo with Omega-3 "is the first of a range of sausages that combine tradition and nutritional balance".

Despite the good commercial prospects, it is not easy to demonstrate the virtues on the health of the food. Each year, the European authority on food security (EFSA) denied 95% of applications are the companies to ensure that your product found to be functional. The experience of meat Cerrillo is an example of this: "Should be distinguished between making a nutrition on a product claim (as in this case) and make a healthy argument." In the first case, both the EFSA and the applicable European legislation have established minimum values of the substance to be declared from which this statement can be included on the label. I.e., our new sausage can claim its high Omega 3 content that exceeds the limits set by the regulations. "In this case do not need a specific request to EFSA's". Regarding healthy claim, there are claims denied by the EFSA. This is the case of products on its label referring to the beneficial effect on the health of the consumer in a direct way, and not to the nutritional content of the product, as they point out from meat Cerrillo.

One of the successes of this project is the incorporation of unsaturated fatty acids to a meat matrix which takes treatment of drying and maturation, which could involve the future launch of products of this type on a larger scale. "One of Cerrillo Fontecha goals for the coming years is developing novel products, in line with the new sausage enriched with Omega 3". "In particular, already we think new developments that we differentiate in the embedded sector, through a range of high value-added products, but to maintain the essence of the traditional sausage". One of the expected results, once reached the objectives of the project, is the internationalization of the product. "For the future, we want to open ourselves to international markets with high added value products, such as which has been achieved in this latest project of r & d, omega 3 in sausages through the incorporation of fatty acids." In the Central European countries, products enriched in functional have a foothold in the market and it is expected that the response is positive by the consumer before a product that combines tradition and new technologies", argues the Manager of this family business based in Navarrete (La Rioja). Meat Cerrillo is dedicated to the elaboration of Rioja artisan sausage and breeding, butchering and distribution of livestock in the region. One of its lines of business is the production of Riojan homemade sausage. In recent years, he has sought the differentiation in the sector, betting on products such as sausage enriched with Omega 3, or the salami with walnuts, which released previously.