Development of immune-boosting vegan sausage utilizing baby jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus) by replacing carcinogenic curing salts with natural pigment source

In recent decades the demand for processed meat-based products like sausages has been gradually enhanced. But most traditional meat sausages available in the local market may lead to a lot of non-communicable diseases due to high-fat content. Curing agents (nitrates and nitrite), which are used to impart cured meat color & preservation purposes, are considered carcinogenic. This study was carried out to develop healthy non-meat-based sausage by utilizing jack fruit, a seasonal, underutilized crop in Sri Lanka. Moreover, some other tomato paste ingredients were added to replace the nitrate salt and spices, emulsion & composite flour mixture. The developed product has the potential to be preserved for more than four months without adding any preservatives.