Chemical effects of smoke processing on frankfurter quality and palatability characteristics

Frankfurters were made by standard commercial practices except for the smoke treatment which involved four different methods: solid smoke-aerosol, liquid smoke-aerosol, liquid smoke-external dip and liquid smoke-internal mix. For control purposes, frankfurters were prepared without any smoke treatment. All frankfurters were packaged and stored at 5°C with samples removed for analyses weekly for three weeks. All smoke-processing treatments resulted in products assessed as overall acceptable with the experienced sensory panel unable to detect differences among the various methods of manufacture except for the franks made by mixing liquid smoke in the emulsion. However, the flavour scores of those products subjected to external smoke-processing treatments were higher and more acceptable than the other two treatments. Frankfurters manufactured using aerosol smoke treatments were rated by sensory panellists as the most tender. However, shear force measurements indicated that those franks processed with external liquid smoke treatments were somewhat less tender. Liquid smoke-processing techniques favoured the development of a more desirable cured colour. The most stable colour was attributed to the liquid smoke-processing system in which the smoke materials were mixed in the emulsion. All palatability properties (sensory and colour) were highly correlated with the smokiness of the product. Generally, storage time had little effect on frankfurter palatability characteristics.