Addition of mechanically deboned poultry meat (MDPM) as an ingredient in the formulation of sausage is recent in Brazil. This paper addresses the influence on rheological characteristics of sausage when meat is increasingly replaced (0-100%) by MDPM in sausage formulation. A universal testing machine was used to obtain direct measurements and quantify resistance of sausage to tensile and compression in tests carried out at 20 degreesC and with a strain rate of 50 mm/min. The results showed a strong influence of the MDPM content on the measured mechanical properties, namely compressive and tensile strength. Besides, it has been found that additions of MDPM higher than 60% in the sausage formulation caused significant rheological behavior alteration. (C) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.