How sausages can stay popular with modern consumers

The humble sausage is a versatile part of a wide range of mealtimes, regardless of the time of day – whether as an important part of a cooked breakfast, as part of a stew or casserole, adorning a bun or for a satisfying snack, it is the taste and convenience that makes it a winner with consumers. The fact is sausages have become so much more than that, as they are a direct source of nutrition as an all-important source of protein.

A high meat content is of prime importance to the mindful consumer who is also looking for healthy and sustainable options while insisting on natural and clean label ingredients. This trend provides manufacturers a great deal of opportunities to explore what gives sausages premium qualities that will triumph in the face of consumer scrutiny.

What to aim for in the production of quality sausages

• Great texture, appearance, bite, and taste are vital for consumer enjoyment
• Consistency - a reproducible product that has even distribution within the meat fill
• Clean label, versatile, easy to use ingredients
• Provenance and associated animal welfare certification
• Taste of meaty essences with a satisfying flavor and mouthfeel

There are numerous ingredients that offer the meat industry all kinds of solutions when it comes to sausages. Below is a suggested checklist to follow when it comes to choosing quality enhancing ingredients:

Ways to make your sausage business even more competitive?			How to make the mark with ScanPro™ 1015
	Offer high nutritional value	Avoid artificial additives and choose ingredients which are naturally high in protein. This helps nutritionally in the formulation of a lower fat offering, while maintaining the bite and quality you would expect from protein alone. Also ensure to formulate with low sodium ingredients to meet consumer preferences.	ScanPro™ 1015 is a range of functional pork proteins made from 100 % pork rind – free from E-numbers and GMOs. It is an allergen-friendly and clean label ingredient which is naturally high in protein. As dehydrated pork rind, ScanPro™1015 can be used to contribute towards the meat content.
	Pursue recognized accreditations	With provenance and high welfare levels ever more important to the consumer, it is necessary to use accredited ingredients from transparent suppliers who can withstand scrutiny.	ScanPro™ 1015 is manufactured in the Gråsten facilities which are accredited with the FSSC 22000 – assuring the best standards in food health and safety.
	Easy ingredient handling, storage, and use	Using ingredients that are easy to store, handle, and use compose an important competitive advantage. Look for features such as long shelf life, storage at ambient temperatures and make sure the ingredients are supplied in formats that can go directly into a mixer or bowl cutter.	ScanPro™1015 is a heat treated ambient stable consistent product with low micro count and 2-year shelf life. The free-flowing dry product is easy to store and is simple to use in any production method.
	Optimize formulation costs	Pursuing cost-effective processes and optimizing formulation costs are important drivers for staying ahead of the game. Complimenting or substituting a proportion of the production meat in a sausage recipe, can help reduce formulation costs and may even work as an excellent inflation buster.	The addition of ScanPro™ 1015 to your recipe can deliver considerable cost savings without sacrificing on quality. Depending on the recipe, more expensive cuts of meat can be substituted with hydrated ScanPro™ 1015(There is no need to pre-hydrate, the ScanPro™1015 and hydration water can be added separately) while maintaining meat ratio. As meat cut prices are not static, we are happy to review recipes based on meat cost in recipe and advise what these savings equate to.
	Authentic meaty taste	Premium ingredients provide genuinely flavorsome sausages that consumers will opt for, thus securing the place of the brand as first choice.	ScanPro™ 1015 adds to the flavor with a nice taste of roasted pork. The aromatic meaty nuances are natural essences that complement the meat’s flavor.

Essentia Protein Solutions manufactures ScanPro™ 1015 which is basically meat to add into meat. It is a range of functional pork proteins made from 100 % pork rind – free from E-numbers and GMOs. It is free of all known allergens and a clean label ingredient. As ScanPro™ 1015 can be used to contribute towards the pork/meat content subject to fat and connective tissue limits, so it is basically meat into meat. It is processed using advanced technology which concentrates the porcine protein through thermal and mechanical treatment only. ScanPro™ 1015 is also applicable for the ever-growing flexitarian sausage options as it works well in combination with various plant-based proteins.

The functionality of ScanPro™ 1015

When ScanPro™ 1015 mixes with water under heating, the collagen protein unfolds. When cooled down, the collagen refolds into a three-dimensional structure which allows the collagen to bind water in the same way the meat proteins work in products. When added to meat products, this specific ability therefore adds to the texture and bite and reduces cook loss.

Technical care and after sales support

At Essentia, we pride ourselves in the technical, legal and recipe support we provide. We offer assistance and advice at every step of the process to help our customers realize their objectives. Our technical sales team are available to help and discuss all your requirements through all communication platforms. Please visit our contacts page to find a representative near you, for the opportunity to co-create.