Using Whole Cowpea Flour (WCPF) in Frankfurter-Type Sausages

Whole Cowpea Flour (WCPF) was substituted at 0% (control), 5%, 10%, 15% and 20% of Ground Beef (GB) to produce emulsion-type frankfurters. Physico-chemical and sensory attributes of the sausages were studied. Moisture content increased significantly (p < 0.05) with increasing use of WCPF in place of GB. Protein contents reduced with increasing use of WCPF but these decreases were not significantly different (p < 0.05) at the 5% level of using WCPF. The use of WCPF resulted in significant reductions (p < 0.05) in cooking loss, fat and ash contents of the frankfurters however pH (raw and cooked) and water activity of frankfurters were not significantly affected by using WCPF (p > 0.05). Sensory evaluation of the frankfurters revealed very high mean overall acceptability scores. Generally the control products were equally acceptable to the panelists as the products containing the 5% and 10% levels of WCPF. The costs of producing frankfurters reduced by 12.8%, 15.2%, 19% and 24.2% respectively at 5%, 10%, 15% and 20% usage of WCPF. It was concluded that 5% of GB could be replaced with WCPF in “emulsion-type” sausages without any adverse effects on their sensory and physico-chemical properties.