Development of "Yezo Venison Sausage" with improved texture and bloody taste quality

We developed "Yezo Venison Sausage" using the characteristics of Yezo sika deer meat to overcome disadvantages associated with the unique smell and tough texture of deer meat to turn Yezo sika deer, a Hokkaido-specific biological resource, into a beneficial resource. "Yezo Venison Sausage" is produced by the addition of 20% minced pork fat, 20 % crushed ice, 2.4 % salt, 2 % sugar, 0.15 % color developer, 0.1 % ascorbic acid, 0.2 % polyphosphate, 0.4 % baking soda, 0.6 % coarse ground black pepper, 0.2 % all spice, and 0.1 % sage to minced Yezo sika deer thigh. The ingredients are mixed by hand and then filled into casings made of sheep intestine. After drying at 60 degrees C for 30 min, the sausage is smoked at 60 degrees C for 30 min and then cooked at a central temperature of 70 degrees C for 1 min. The newly developed "Yezo Venison Sausage" shows greatly improved texture and bloody taste quality. Further, the high protein, low fat, and high iron contents, all of which are distinctive characteristics of deer meat, along with the distinctive redness of the meat confer an excellent balance between the sensory and nutritional characteristics of the sausage.