Effect of incorporation of carrot on the quality characteristics of chicken sausages

The present study was undertaken to evaluate the effect of different levels of carrot on the quality characteristics of chicken sausages. The minced carrot was incorporated at three different levels viz. 6, 12 and 18 percent replacing lean meat in the formulation. The products were analyzed for various physicochemical and sensory attributes. pH, emulsion stability, cooking yield, crude protein, ether extract and ash content of the products showed significant (P<0.05) decreasing trend with increasing levels of incorporation of carrot. A significant (P<0.05) increase in the moisture and crude fiber content of the chicken sausages was observed with increasing levels of incorporation. The mean sensory scores of the products for appearance and colour, flavour, juiciness and overall acceptability showed a significant increase (P<0.05) with increasing levels of incorporation. The mean texture scores showed a significant decrease (P<0.05) with increasing levels of incorporation of carrot, however, the sensory scores for the products incorporated with 12 percent level were comparable (P>0.05) with control. Fiber-enriched chicken sausages could be successfully prepared by incorporating up to 12 percent carrot in the formulation without any significant loss in the quality.