Effect of lard‐derived diacylglycerol on the physicochemical properties and quality of frankfurters

Abstract BACKGROUND Traditional emulsified meat products are high in animal fat, which is associated with good quality (texture, taste, flavor and palatability), but excessive fat intake has adverse effects on human health and has been linked to chronic diseases such as obesity and cardiovascular disease. The present study aimed to evaluate the use of lard‐derived diacylglycerol (DG) with health benefits on the physicochemical and sensory properties of frankfurters. Frankfurters were prepared by substituting lard with purified lard‐derived diacylglycerol (PDG) at different levels (0%, 25%, 50% and 100%). RESULTS Compared to lard, the replacement of lard with different levels of PDG improved the rheological properties of meat batters. Increasing lard substitution significantly decreased cooking loss (from 18.70% to 0.38%), released fat and free water content, at the same time as significantly increasing immobilized water content, hardness (from 22.54 N to 40.37 N), and chewiness (from 13.10 to 27.19). However, there was no significant difference between the 50% PDG group and the 100% PDG group ( P > 0.05). Moreover, the frankfurters prepared with lard replaced with 100% PDG produced the most compact and uniform three‐dimensional gel network with a mass of small fat globules embedded in the myofibrillar protein network. Notably, the reformulated frankfurters with 100% PDG had the highest sensory evaluation score. CONCLUSION Overall, replacing pork fat with healthier lard‐derived DG improved quality (particularly texture and water and fat retention) without compromising the sensory properties of the frankfurters. © 2025 Society of Chemical Industry.