Chromatography-Driven Insights into Fat Replacement Effects in Frankfurters

Partial or total replacement of pork fat with homologous functional oils may help meet consumer demand for healthier meat products while preserving sensory quality. In a new study, researchers investigated the use of lard-derived diacylglycerol (DG) as a fat replacer and its effects on the flavor characteristics of frankfurters.

Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) detected 50 volatile compounds in all the frankfurters used in the study (such as aldehydes, alcohols, terpenes, and aromatic hydrocarbons). In addition, electronic nose results showed that replacing pork fat with PGL affected the aroma of frankfurters. A paper based on this research was published in Foods (1).

Frankfurters usually contain high levels of animal fat (up to 20–30%), which play a part in improving cooking yield and offering the meat’s unique flavor, desired texture, solid structure, juiciness, and overall acceptability (2). A great deal of evidence, however, reveals that increased intake of high-fat foods such as frankfurters can be detrimental to one’s health (potentially leading to obesity and cardiovascular disease), as animal fat in general contains cholesterol and saturated fatty acids (3,4). Recent studies have concentrated on the reduction of fat content of frankfurters through the lowering of the amount of animal fat or the partial replacement of animal fat in the meat with plant oils, emulsion gels, emulsions, and gum (5-8).

However, compared to full-fat frankfurters, the reduced animal fat alternatives had lower consumer acceptability, flavor, and taste (particularly juiciness). Studies observed that the replacement of fat with porcine plasma protein–xanthan gum-based oleogels (PXOs) resulted in a reduction of flavor and interior color of frankfurters (9). Additional research reported that the high-proportion replacement of pork backfat with gelled emulsions prepared from hemp oil and buckwheat flour had a propensity toward disrupting the original flavor balance of the frankfurter (10).

“Therefore,” write the authors of the article, “there is an urgent need to identify healthy alternatives from homologous fat to traditional animal fat.” (1)

The study revealed that replacing pork fat with purified glycerolized lard (PGL) at different levels (25%, 50%, and 100%) increased the water content and water activity, improved the lightness and yellowness values, and protein thermal stability, while decreasing the redness value of the frankfurters. Furthermore, substituting lard with PGL significantly increased the variety and content of flavor compounds in frankfurters. Of the identified 50 volatile compounds identified with GC-MS in this study, 7 were found to play an important part in the overall flavor profile of frankfurters based on odor activity value. The researchers found that replacing lard with PGL increased the variety and content of volatile compounds in frankfurters. In addition, aldehydes (hexanal), alcohols (1-octen-3-ol), and terpenes [(+)-dipentene] could be regarded as the key volatile compounds that distinguished frankfurters with different levels of PGL according to the OAV and variable importance in projection results. DG also improved the quality of frankfurters, which is specifically reflected in the increase in lightness and yellowness, water content and water activity, and protein thermal stability (1).

“Hence,” write the authors of the study, “lard-derived DG may be a promising fat substitute for producing healthy and high-quality meat products.” Future studies might focus on intelligent sensory techniques, such as the electronic tongue technology and gas chromatography-olfactometry (GC-O) (1).

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References

1. Zhao, X.; Jiang, Y.; Luo, Z. et al. Effect of Lard-Derived Diacylglycerol as a Potential Alternative on the Flavor Characteristics of Frankfurters. Foods 2025, 14 (23), 4059. DOI: 10.3390/foods14234059
2. Wang, J. L.; Shang, M. S.; Li, X. J. et al. Polysaccharide-Based Colloids as Fat Replacers in Reduced-Fat Foods. Trends Food Sci. Technol. 2023, 141, 104195. DOI: 10.1016/j.tifs.2023.104195
3. Badar, I. H.; Li, Y. X.; Liu, H. T. Effect of Vegetable Oil Hydrogel Emulsion as a Fat Substitute on the Physicochemical Properties, Fatty Acid Profile, and Color Stability of Modified Atmospheric Packaged Buffalo Burgers. Meat Sci. 2023, 199, 109143. DOI: 10.1016/j.meatsci.2023.109143
4. Aramburu, A.; Dolores-Maldonado, G.; Curi-Quinto, K. et al. Effect of Reducing Saturated Fat Intake on Cardiovascular Disease in Adults: An Umbrella Review. Front. Public Health 2024, 12, 1396576.DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1396576
5. Guo, J. X.; Cui, L. J.; Meng, Z. Oleogels/Emulsion Gels as Novel Saturated Fat Replacers in Meat Products: A Review. Food Hydrocoll. 2023, 137, 108313. DOI: 10.1016/j.foodhyd.2022.108313
6. Fontes-Candia, C.; Martinez-Sanz, M.; Gómez-Cortés, P. et al. Polysaccharide-Based Emulsion Gels as Fat Replacers in Frankfurter Sausages: Physicochemical, Nutritional and Sensorial Evaluation. LWT-Food Sci. Technol. 2023, 180, 114705. DOI: 10.1016/j.lwt.2023.114705
7. Zhao, S. M.; Yuan, X. R.; Yang, L. et al. The Effects of Modified Quinoa Protein Emulsion as Fat Substitutes in Frankfurters. Meat Sci. 2023, 202, 109215. DOI: 10.1016/j.meatsci.2023.109215
8. Zhao, Y. Y.; Zhang, S .K.; Zhao, S. M. et al. Physical-Chemical, Water Distribution and Protein Conformation of Reduced-Fat Frankfurters with Artemisia sphaerocephala Krasch Gum to Substitute Pork Back Fat. LWT-Food Sci. Technol. 2023, 181, 114770. DOI: 10.1016/j.lwt.2023.114770
9. Zhao, J. H.; Yao, X. P.; Zhang, H. et al. Effects of Porcine Plasma Protein-Xanthan Gum Based Oleogels Constructed by Foam-Templated Approach as Fat Substitutes on the Quality Characteristics and Favour Attributes of Low-Fat Frankfurters. Meat Sci. 2025, 230, 109933. DOI: 10.1016/j.meatsci.2025.109933
10. Botella-Martínez, C.; Viuda-Martos, M.; Pérez-Álvarez, J. A. et al. Total and Partial Fat Re-placement by Gelled Emulsion (Hemp Oil and Buckwheat Flour) and its Impact on the Chemical, Technological and Sensory Properties of Frankfurters. Foods 2021, 10, 1681. DOI: 10.3390/foods10081681