Filled myofibrillar protein gels: Improving cooking loss and texture with model filler particles

Publication date: Available online 9 December 2016 Source:Food Structure Author(s): Andrew J. Gravelle, Alejandro G. Marangoni, Shai Barbut The influence of incorporating filler particles of varying size and hydrophilic strength in a model myofibrillar protein gel was investigated. Two particle sizes (7–10μm and 30–50μm) having differing surface chemistry (uncoated, or amino-coated) were incorporated into a comminuted meat system at varying volume fractions (ϕf). Both particle sizes were able to reduce and arrest cooking loss during gelation, as well as improve large deformation mechanical attributes such as Hardness and Resilience. The smaller particles were found to increase these parameters at lower Φf, reaching a plateau as the filler content increased (at ϕf ≥0.03). The use of amino-coated particles resulted in a greater increase in liquid retention and large deformation properties; however, not significantly so. The larger particles produced a continuous decrease in cooking loss during gelation, but there was an associated lag in the improvement in large deformation properties. At the highest ϕf tested (ϕf =0.12), the large deformation mechanical properties of the composites containing the 30–50μm particles either reached a plateau (uncoated) or exhibited a slight decrease (amino-coated). This was attributed to the clustering of particles at higher ϕf, which would weaken the gel network, as the glass particles only weakly interacted with the protei...
Source: Food Structure - Category: Food Science Source Type: research