Incorporation of Local Ingredients (Soumbala, Moringa, Roucou) in the Formulation of Nitrite-Free Cooked Sausages: An Alternative for Healthy Nutrition

Sausages are a highly prized food, but their production involves the use of nitrites, which can pose a health risk. To promote healthy eating, it is necessary to adapt sausage technology to the African context by encouraging the use of nutritious ingredients such as moringa and soumbala. This study aimed to develop beef and chicken sausage recipes that incorporate soumbala, moringa and other spices (fresh garlic, celery, ground coriander, ground cumin, ground ginger, fresh onion, parsley, ground black pepper), with the intention of reducing the use of chemical additives. Thus, ten formulations were developed according to a mixing plan generated by Minitab 18 software. The produced sausages were analyzed using standard methods to determine their nutritional composition and compared with a commercial sample. The results indicate that depending on the proportions of moringa and soumbala used, the pH and acidity of the sausages varied significantly, ranging from 5.08±0 to 5.92±0 and from 2.40±0.34 to 7.46±0.10%, respectively. The sausages formulated in this study were significantly richer in minerals (2.8% DM) than the commercial sausages used as a control (1.775% DM). Additionally, the protein and carbohydrate content varied significantly between formulations, ranging from 10.52% (F1) to 15.67% (F6) and from 5.57% (F2) to 23.38% (F3), respectively. However, these levels did not significantly affect the energy value, which is strongly correlated with lipids, with no significant variation observed: 159.83±6.12 (F0)-199.36±21.98 kcal/100 g (F10) and 7.16±1.08 (F0)-11.69±1.83% (F9), respectively. This study paves the way for the promotion of charcuterie products adapted to the socio-cultural context of Burkina Faso and for healthy eating by incorporating moringa leaf powder, soumbala and other local spices into sausage formulations.