Abstract
The object of this study is the production of cooked sausages fortified with protein hydrolysates obtained from collagen-containing raw materials (in particular, beef legs with fetlock). The study is aimed at eliminating the lack of data on the effect of hydrolysate concentration and process parameters on the functional, physicochemical, and antioxidant characteristics of meat products. A multifactorial experiment was conducted according to the Box-Benkin design in order to optimize the conditions of enzymatic hydrolysis. A statistically significant second-order regression model was built (R2=0.83; F=13.18; p<0.05). Response surface analysis made it possible to determine the optimal conditions: temperature treatment at 70.4 °C, fermentation at 50 °C, and a duration of 2 hours, at which the content of amino nitrogen reaches 2.00 mg/g. In a single-factorial experiment, the effect of hydrolysate doses (0%, 10%, 15%) was studied. A strong linear relationship was found between the dose and water retention capacity (R2=0.98), with an increase of 9.3%. Antioxidant activity also increased (DPPH up to 29.88%, FRAP up to 33.5 mg GAE/g). The amino acid profile was improved by increasing the levels of leucine, glycine, and arginine. However, at the 15 % dose, a deterioration in organoleptic properties (taste and aroma) was observed, which reduced consumer acceptability. The results confirm the effectiveness of combining mathematical modeling and biochemical analysis in the development of functional meat products based on collagen-containing by-products. Limitations of the hydrolysate application have been identified and directions for future research have been proposed: sensory validation, peptide fractionation, and testing of intermediate concentrations (12–14%) to achieve an optimal balance between functionality, quality, and taste