Abstract Bacterial cellulose has been considered a potential ingredient in food development. In this study it was used to replace fat in Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) mechanically separated meat sausages. Response surface methodology with complete Central Composite Rotatable Design (CCRD) 22 was used, including 4 axial points and 3 center points, with fat ranging from 0 to 8% and bacterial cellulose ranging from 0 to 13.66%. The variables BC and fat had no significant effect (p>0.05) on hardness, gumminess and color parameters c and h of sausages. BC had a significant effect (p<0.05) on cohesiveness, adhesiveness and luminosity, and tests 1 and 2 provided the best formulations.

Abstract Emulsified meat products have a high fat content. The industry has been looking for strategies to replace fat with healthier products in order to meet consumer demands. This review aims to present studies on the use of BC as a substitute in emulsified meat products. In these studies, BC proved to be a potential fat replacer, as it maintained the same technological and sensory properties found in products with original fat content.