Effects of vegetable oil and ethylcellulose on the oleogel properties and its application in Harbin red sausage

The effects of ethylcellulose (EC) concentration (6–12 %) and types of vegetable oil (sunflower, peanut, corn, and flaxseed oils) on the color, hardness, oil loss, lipid oxidation, and rheology property of oleogels were investigated in this study. Peanut oil (PO) oleogel was selected to replace pork fat partially in Harbin red sausage. Meanwhile, the fatty acid profile, texture, and sensory attributes of the reformulated sausages were analyzed. Oleogels formulated with higher EC concentration had higher brightness and hardness, a higher degree of lipid oxidation, and greater storage (G′) and loss (G′′) moduli. Oleogels formulated with PO had lower oil loss, flaxseed oil oleogel had higher hardness. Corn oil and PO oleogels had a lower level of lipid oxidation. The texture, lipid oxidation, and sensory attributes of the reformulated sausages, in which 10–30 % pork fat was replaced with PO oleogel, did not significantly differ from those without oleogel replacement. Meanwhile, the reformulated sausages had a healthier fatty acids profile and higher nutritional value. •Higher EC level caused lower oil loss, higher hardness and lipid oxidation of oleogel.•PO oleogels had lower oil loss, FO were harder, CO and PO had less oxidation.•G′ and G′′ increased with increasing EC content and also depended on oil type.•Substituting pork fat with PO oleogels improved nutritional properties of sausage.