Sodium reformulation and its impact on oxidative stability and sensory quality of dry-cured rabbit legs

The aim of this study was to evaluate the oxidative stability and sensory quality of dry-cured rabbit legs produced with a reduction or replacement of 50% of NaCl by KCl and with the addition of monosodium glutamate (MG). Oxidative stability was evaluated during 90 days of storage at 20 °C by determining pH, redox potential (Eh), and TBARS while overall liking and sensory profile were measured at the beginning of storage. The results indicated that oxidative stability of the dry-cured rabbit legs was not affected by the sodium reformulation. However, TBARS values increased about 15-fold during storage in all treatments. Dry-cured rabbit legs produced with KCl showed lower scores (P < 0.05) for the overall liking and flavor attributes as "astringent flavor", "bitter taste" and "metallic flavor". The addition of MG to products with 50% NaCl reduction provided a liking and a sensory profile similar to the product with 100% NaCl.