Effect of Protein–Oil-Based Emulsion on the Nutritional Value of the Red Deer Meat Sausage

This study evaluated the feasibility of incorporating a protein-oil emulsion based on beef tripe, meat trimmings, and vegetable oil into semi-smoked sausages produced from maral (red deer) meat, with maral fat used as the sole animal fat source. Four sausage variants were formulated and produced to evaluate the effects of different protein-oil emulsion inclusion levels (0, 10, 15, and 20%) on nutritional, textural, and sensory characteristics. Replacement of part of the maral fat with the protein-oil emulsion resulted in a reduction in total fat content (11.6-14.7%) while protein levels remained stable (20.6-21.4%). Fatty acid analysis demonstrated a significant decrease in saturated fatty acids (from 54.64% in the control to 35.45% in the highest emulsion variant) accompanied by a marked increase in polyunsaturated fatty acids (from 22.20% to 37.57%), primarily due to higher linoleic acid content. Texture profile analysis showed a progressive reduction in hardness, gumminess, and chewiness with increasing emulsion inclusion (<i>p</i> < 0.05), whereas springiness and cohesiveness were not significantly affected (<i>p</i> > 0.05), indicating the preservation of elastic and cohesive properties. Sensory evaluation confirmed that sausages containing moderate levels of the protein-oil emulsion maintained favorable appearance, flavor, and juiciness, with no adverse effects on overall acceptability. These results indicate that combining maral fat with a protein-oil emulsion is an effective strategy for producing nutritionally improved red deer meat sausages with balanced lipid composition and consumer-acceptable texture and sensory quality.