Changes in physicochemical, textural, and sensorial properties of pork meatballs made with the addition of hemp oil during storage

This research aimed to evaluate the quality characteristics of cooked and vacuum-packed meatballs reformulated with cold-pressed hempseed oil as a partial pork substitute (0.8%, 2.5%, 4.2%, and 7.5%) during 12 days of storage. The water activity, cooking, and storage losses increased with a higher content of hemp oil (P <0.05). The total saturated fatty acids were reduced by 37.6%, whereas the polyunsaturated fatty acids content improved by 96.1%. Hemp oil addition decreased protein and lipid oxidation during the storage period (P <0.05). The inhibition effect on carbonyl content reached 34.9% and on TBARS values reached 17.5%. Sensory analysis revealed no significant changes to the texture, odour, and taste attributes over 12 days of storage in vacuum packaging. The results indicate that cold-pressed hemp oil can be an alternative ingredient for the production of meat products with improved nutritional value, particularly by enriching them with n-3 αlinolenic fatty acid.