Enhancing low-fat frankfurter texture and sensory properties with almond protein emulsion gels

Health concerns related to saturated fats intake have encouraged efforts to reduce or replace animal fat in meat products. Direct substitution of saturated fats with liquid vegetable oils often compromises texture and processing stability. Emulsion gels (EGs) can structure liquid oils into solid-like fats. Due to its emulsifying capacity, almond protein isolate (API) was combined with κ-carrageenan (KC) to reinforce the gel matrix, and the API/KC EGs remain unexplored as pork fat replacers in meat products. EGs (6% w/v API, 20% v/v sunflower oil, 0-6% w/v KC) were prepared and characterized. The 6% KC group (AEG6) showed a dense microstructure, enhanced gel strength, improved thermal stability and oil-binding capacity, and the highest viscoelasticity. Replacing 50% pork fat with AEG6 maintained instrumental texture and sensory scores were comparable to conventional frankfurters. Overall, API/KC EGs effectively replace pork fat in low-fat frankfurters, owing to the emulsifying role of API.