Kinetic Modeling of Texture Properties of Bologna Sausage Under Cooking Conditions

Texture properties are important indices for the evaluation of Bologna sausage quality. The objective of the study was to investigate the effect of cooking temperature and time on texture properties, to determine correlations between various texture properties (i.e., hardness, springiness, adhesiveness, cohesiveness, gumminess, chewiness, and resilience), and to develop kinetic models of selected texture properties as a function of cooking temperature and time. Cooking conditions were established at five levels of cooking temperature from 50–70°C, and at five levels of cooking time from 10 to 30 min. Results showed that cooking conditions (temperature and time) and their interactions significantly affected the texture properties except for the adhesiveness (p < 0.01). A significant correlation (p < 0.01) was found between gumminess and chewiness. The relationship between cooking temperature and time and texture properties can be well described by a second order polynomial equation. Statistical results showed that these kinetic models can be used (R2 > 0.92) for the prediction of Bologna sausage texture properties within the range of experimental cooking conditions.