Effect of Lard-Derived Diacylglycerol as a Potential Alternative on the Flavor Characteristics of Frankfurters

Partial or total replacement of pork fat with homologous functional oils may meet consumer demand for healthy meat products while preserving their sensory quality. This study investigated the use of lard-derived diacylglycerol (DG) as a fat replacer on the flavor characteristics of frankfurters. The results revealed that substituting pork fat with purified glycerolized lard (PGL) at different levels (25%, 50%, and 100%) increased the water content and water activity, improved the <i>L</i>* and <i>b</i>* values, and protein thermal stability, while decreasing the <i>a</i>* value of frankfurters. Meanwhile, electronic nose results showed that replacing pork fat with PGL affected the aroma of frankfurters. Furthermore, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry detected 50 volatile compounds in all the frankfurters (such as aldehydes, alcohols, terpenes, and aromatic hydrocarbons, etc.). Replacing lard with PGL significantly increased the variety and content of flavor compounds in frankfurters (<i>p</i> < 0.05). According to the approximate odor activity values (OAV) > 1 and variable importance in projection (VIP) > 1, the distinct flavor of the frankfurters with different levels of PGL mainly resulted from aldehydes, alcohols, and terpenes. Generally, this study provided a valuable theoretical foundation for substituting fat with lard-derived DG to improve the flavor characteristics of frankfurters.