Soy protein gel as pork fat substitute in sausages
What it found
In lab tests, a gel made from soy protein isolate replaced pork back fat in low-fat sausages and improved moisture, protein and water-holding while cutting fat, calories and cooking loss.
The best results came at 75 percent substitution.
What they found
Moisture and protein up
Replacing pork back fat with the soy protein gel raised moisture content and protein levels in the sausages.
Fat and calories down
The gel substitution lowered total fat and calories compared with the control sausages.
Less cooking loss
Sausages with the gel lost less water during cooking, and at the best level cooking loss was 9.39 percent on average.
Better water holding
The best formulation held water well, with an average water-holding capacity of 89.47 percent, and water was evenly spread through the sausage.
Sensory acceptance
Tasters gave the best formulation a sensory acceptance score of 82.2 on average.
Structure at 75 percent
At 75 percent substitution, the gel network inside the sausage was compact and uniform.
What the authors conclude
“Therefore, the SPI-based composite gel functions as a viable nutritional fat substitute in the production of low-fat, high-quality emulsified sausages without compromising textural or sensory attributes.”
Also in their conclusions
- They say the soy protein isolate-based composite gel works as a nutritional fat substitute in low-fat, high-quality emulsified sausages without harming texture or sensory attributes.
- They add that the study offers a promising way to balance health-conscious recipes with good taste in commercially viable healthier meat products.
How it was done
The authors wanted to create a soy protein isolate-based gel that mimics pork back fat in emulsified sausages, to support healthier meat products without losing texture or taste.
They made a composite gel from soy protein isolate, oxidized chitin nanowhiskers, konjac glucomannan and corn oil, then used it to replace pork back fat at 0, 50, 75 and 100 percent in emulsified sausages. They measured quality, structure, water-holding, cooking loss and sensory acceptance.
What it can’t tell you
- We summarised it from the abstract only.
- This was a lab study on sausages, not a trial in people, so it cannot show how such sausages affect human health.
- It cannot show whether eating these sausages over time changes anything in the body.
Who paid
- Conflicts
- Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.
- Authors work at
- Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, China
The paper
- Title
- The effects of soy protein isolate-based composite gels as pork back fat substitutes in low-fat emulsified sausage
- Type
- Study
- Summarised from
- Abstract only
- Cite
- Zhang J, Li D, Zhang Y, et al (2025). The effects of soy protein isolate-based composite gels as pork back fat substitutes in low-fat emulsified sausage. Food research international (Ottawa, Ont.). doi:10.1016/j.foodres.2025.116945PubMed 40790723DOI
Summary written 26 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error