Application of Pigeon Myofibrillar Protein-Stabilized High Internal Phase Pickering Emulsions as a Sheep Tail Fat Substitute in Emulsion-Type Sausages

To reduce the potential health risks associated with excessive intake of animal fat, emulsion-type sausages were prepared using a high internal phase Pickering emulsion (HIPPE) stabilized by pigeon myofibrillar protein (PMP) as a fat substitute, yielding fat-reformulated sausages. The effect of PMP concentration (0.5–2.5%, w/v) on the physical stability of HIPPEs was evaluated. Increasing PMP concentration improved the storage, centrifugal, and thermal stability of HIPPEs. Based on the stability results, HIPPE with 2.0% PMP was selected as a fat substitute to replace 50% or 100% of the sheep tail fat in emulsion-type sausages. Compared with the control, partial replacement (50%) of sheep tail fat with HIPPE maintained the cooking loss and emulsion stability of the sausages. However, when the sheep tail fat was completely replaced with HIPPE, these indicators improved significantly. Replacing sheep tail fat (either half or completely) with HIPPE significantly improved the rheological parameters of the meat batter. In addition, the water-holding capacity, lightness, and texture parameters (hardness and chewiness) of the sausages were significantly improved. In the sensory evaluation by a panel of food-science students, HIPPE addition positively affected the appearance, juiciness, texture, and overall acceptability of the sausages. Therefore, PMP-stabilized HIPPEs show potential for improving the technological quality of emulsion-type sausages and provide a basis for further exploration of vegetable oils in fat-reformulated meat products.