The cholesterol content of raw and cooked ground pork with fat contents of 4, 9, 18 and 23% was determined. Cholesterol content increased as fat level increased in the raw pork, but cholesterol content of broiled pork patties was not different among fat levels;Dry- and wet-milled corn germ flours, corn gluten meal and zein at levels of 0, 2.5 and 5% were added to ground pork of various fat percentages. Raw and broiled patties were analyzed for proximate composition, color, Instron compression and cooking loss. Broiled pork patties containing zein were evaluated by a sensory panel;Dry- and wet-milled germ flour addition at the 5% level decreased cooking losses, 9 and 7.5%, respectively, when compared to control patties. Zein addition to ground pork reduced cooking loss 4.2% when compared to ground pork without zein. Corn gluten meal addition to pork did not influence yield. Instron compression values decreased as the amount of dry-milled germ flour increased in ground pork, but increased with the addition of zein and corn gluten meal. Sensory tenderness and pork flavor intensity decreased and off-flavor intensity increased when zein was added to pork patties;Chemical, physical and sensory properties of cooked frankfurters of three fat levels with 0 or 3.5% dry- and wet-milled corn germ flours were investigated. Dry-milled corn germ flour addition decreased fat content, sensory tenderness, juiciness and cured flavor intensity and increased chewiness of frankfurters. Cured flavor intensity decreased and off-flavor intensity, Instron compression values and cooking loss increased with the addition of wet-milled corn germ flour;The protein, starch, crude fiber and pentosan contents and water hydration and oil-binding capacities of germ meals were investigated. Fifty-five percent of the total germ protein was extracted from dry-milled corn germ meal with 0.1 N sodium hydroxide. Sixteen protein bands were separated by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The dry-milled germ residue remaining after protein extraction was found to have a higher water hydration capacity (3.6 ml/g) than the protein (1.3 ml/g);Germ flours were effective finders in ground pork, but did not increase yield in a frankfurter model system. The high water hydration capacity of germ meal is probably due to the fiber components.