Utilization of grape pomace as a sustainable natural alternative to synthetic antioxidants and antimicrobials in precooked pork sausage

Commodities

Practices

Sales of breakfast sausage in the U.S. totaled 361.5 million pounds ($1.46 billion) in 2020. Microbial spoilage and oxidation of fat in this product cause substantial waste and economic loss, thus necessitating their use of added antioxidants and antimicrobial ingredients. Many of these, however, are synthetic and do not conform to present-day consumer demand for more natural food ingredients. Grape pomace is an agricultural waste product of grape and wine industry and is commonly used as compost, animal feed or dumped in landfills. This increases the risk of pests and diseases development in the environment and can have a negative impact. In Iowa alone, the wine industry continues to expand, with nearly 100 wineries in 2020 producing about 300,000 gallons of wine, which is estimated to generate about 189 tons of grape pomace.  Grape pomace contains phenolic compounds and fibers, which can protect precooked sausages against microbial spoilage and rancidity, and potentially replace synthetic meat additives. Therefore, this project will focus on the “Utilization of grape pomace as a sustainable natural alternative to synthetic antioxidants and antimicrobials in precooked pork sausage”.  Two types of grape pomace will be incorporated into pork sausage, during the sausage manufacturing process, at two concentrations each, and their antioxidant and antimicrobial effectiveness compared to those of their synthetic counterparts over a 98-day product storage period. In year 2, a sensory evaluation with consumers and industry members will be carried out to evaluate the acceptability of those products. A workshop will be organized including a demonstration of pomace and meat processing and the impact of this project on the change of knowledge and behavior of the wine and meat industry members will be evaluated. We anticipate the identification of an effective grape pomace-derived antioxidant and antimicrobial system for the meat and food industry, which will add value to a waste product and thus benefit wine producers in the North Central Region by increasing profitability in a more sustainable manner. We expect this project to develop the economic viability of the wine and meat industry of the region, by an increase in sales of the grape pomace and pre-cooked sausages as a result of the use of natural additives, and the development of new jobs to process grape pomace prior to its use in the meat industry.

The goal of this project is to add a value to grape pomace as an alternative to synthetic antioxidants and antimicrobials in precooked sausages.

Meat processors and winemakers of the North Central Region will learn about effective use of a wine waste as antioxidant and antimicrobial ingredients for pre-cooked sausage products, through 1) research on different types of pomaces for pork sausages production, 2) dissemination of findings at a workshop, conferences and publications.

1.Winemakers will sell pomace and make profits from this waste.

2.Meat processors will use grape pomaces as a natural and sustainable antimicrobial and antioxidant ingredient.