Archives of Current Research International

Aims: To evaluate the effect of replacing broiler chicken skeletal meat with chicken gizzard at different levels on the physicochemical, processing, proximate and sensory characteristics of cooked chicken sausages.

Study Design: Treatment-based experimental study with six independent batches for each formulation.

Place and Duration of Study: Department of Livestock Products Technology, Veterinary College and Research Institute, Orathanadu, Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu, India, March to May 2026.

Methodology: Fresh broiler chicken meat and chicken gizzard were used for the preparation of cooked chicken sausages. Chicken meat was replaced with gizzard at 0, 25, 50 and 100%, designated as C, T1, T2 and T3, respectively. The sausages were evaluated for pH, emulsion stability, product yield, diameter shrinkage, drip loss, expressible moisture, moisture retention, fat retention, juiciness, proximate composition and sensory characteristics.

Results: Increasing gizzard replacement increased pH, diameter shrinkage, drip loss and expressible moisture, while emulsion stability, product yield, moisture retention, fat retention and juiciness decreased. The pH increased from 6.08 ± 0.02 in C to 6.25 ± 0.03 in T3, whereas product yield decreased from 93.62 ± 0.42 to 88.56 ± 0.51%. Moisture content decreased from 65.24 ± 0.46 to 61.72 ± 0.44%, while protein, fat and ash contents increased from 16.42 ± 0.21, 8.64 ± 0.18 and 2.18 ± 0.05% to 17.62 ± 0.25, 9.48 ± 0.22 and 2.39 ± 0.06%, respectively. Sensory scores for appearance and colour, flavour, juiciness, tenderness, binding and overall acceptability declined with increasing gizzard replacement. T1 remained statistically comparable to C for all sensory attributes.

Conclusion: Chicken gizzard was suitable as a partial replacement for broiler chicken meat in cooked chicken sausages. Among the levels tested, 25% replacement provided the most suitable combination of processing, physicochemical and sensory characteristics.