Comparison of the microstructural, physicochemical and sensorial properties of buffalo meat patties produced using bowl cutter, universal mixer and meat mixer.

This work aimed to evaluate the microstructural, physicochemical and sensorial properties of buffalo meat patties produced using different mixing equipment (bowl cutter, universal mixer, and meat mixer). Scanning electron microscopy revealed a more homogenize emulsion, cohesive structure and smaller pore size of patties produced using the bowl cutter, which significantly reduced the total fluid release, water release, fat release and cooking loss as compared to the universal mixer and meat mixer. Production of the buffalo meat patties using bowl cutter also improved the moisture retention and gel strength of the patties. The patties produced using bowl cutter had the significantly highest lightness and yellowness values, while the redness was the lowest. Lower hardness, gumminess and chewiness also were observed from the patties produced using bowl cutter. Quality of the microstructural and physicochemical properties of the patties produced using different equipment can be organized as bowl cutter > universal mixer > meat mixer. Nevertheless, the sensory evaluation demonstrated a higher preference on aroma, flavour and overall acceptability of patties produced using meat mixer due to coarser and meaty texture, while the colour, tenderness, juiciness and springiness did not differ against using bowl cutter and universal mixer.

Effect of bamboo shoot dietary fiber on gel properties, microstructure and water distribution of pork meat batters.

OBJECTIVE: To develop healthier comminuted meat products to meet consumer demand, the gel properties, rheological properties, microstructure and water distribution of pork meat batters formulated with various amounts of bamboo shoot dietary fiber (BSDF) were investigated. METHODS: Different levels of BSDF (0% to 4%) were added to pork batters, and the pH, color, water-holding capacity, texture and rheological properties of pork batters were determined. Then, pork batters were analyzed for their microstructure and water distribution using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and low-field nuclear magnetic resonance (LF-NMR). RESULTS: Compared with the control, BSDF addition into meat batters showed a significant reduction in L*-value and a significant increase in b*-value (p<0.05). BSDF addition of up to 4% reduced the pH value of pork batters by approximately 0.15 units; however, the cooking loss and expressible water loss decreased significantly (p<0.05) with the increased addition of BSDF. The hardness and gel strength were noticeably enhanced (p<0.05) as the content of BSDF increased. The rheological results showed that BSDF added into pork batters produced higher storage modulus (G') and loss modulus (G″) values. The SEM images suggested that the addition of BSDF could promote pork batters to form a more uniform and compact microstructure. The proportion of immobilized water increased significantly (p<0.05), while the population of free water was decreased (p<0.05), indicating that BSDF improved the water-holding capability of pork batters by decreasing the fraction of free water. CONCLUSION: BSDF could improve the gel properties, rheological properties and water distribution of pork meat batters and decrease the proportion of free water, suggesting that BSDF has great potential as an effective binder in comminuted meat products.

Effects of inclusion of porcine blood hydrolysate on physico-chemical quality, oxidative and microbial stability of pork batter stored at (4 ± 1 °C).

Present study was conducted to evaluate the anti-oxidant and anti-microbial efficiency of porcine blood hydrolysate (PBH) in refrigerated pork batter. PBH produced by alcalase was included into pork batter at different levels viz. PBH1-0.03, PBH2-0.06 and PBH3-0.09% (w/w) and compared with control (C-0%) and positive control (PC-0.02% BHT w/w). The pH increased, whereas water activity, extract release volume and emulsion stability decreased during storage; however, all these parameters were better maintained in the treated groups. Anti-oxidant efficacy of treatments improved in a concentration dependent manner. Peroxide, thiobarbituric acid reacting substances and free fatty acid values were significantly lower than control throughout storage. The colour and microbial quality was better maintained in treatments than C and PC. In microbial challenge test, counts of tested microbes in treatment batter reduced up to 4th day but increased thereafter. Results suggest that PBH can be utilized as a potential component to improve physico-chemical quality, colour, oxidative and microbial stability of meat batter during refrigerated storage.

Factors influencing meat emulsion properties and product texture: A review.

Emulsion-based meat products play an important role in modern meat industry. Though meat batters have been prepared traditionally since long back in the history, the scientific principles and the knowhow are significantly important in the case of commercial products. In India, the market for emulsion meat products is gaining importance in the recent years and the native producers are in critical need for the scientific basis of production of emulsion meat products with better yield, good sensory qualities and nutrition. Hence, this review will throw light on some of the important factors which influence the properties of meat emulsion such as stability, structure, etc. and the product texture and yield as the revealed by past researches which will be useful to the meat processors in their practical application in preparing meat emulsion products.

Effect of ultrasound treatment on functional properties of reduced-salt chicken breast meat batter.

The effect of ultrasound treatments (40 kHz, 300 W) for different times (10, 20, 30 and 40 min) combined with different salt contents (1.0 %, 1.5 % and 2.0 %) on gel properties and water holding capacity (WHC) of chicken breast meat batter were investigated. Results showed salt level significantly (p < 0.05) affected the texture, storage modulus (G'), loss modulus (G″), cooking loss and WHC. Ultrasound treatments for 10 min and 20 min improved the texture and WHC, and had higher G' values. Compared with the controls (2 % salt), ultrasound treatment for 20 min with reduced-salt (1.5 %) had not significant effect (p > 0.05) on texture, cooking loss or WHC. However, longer ultrasound (40 min) treatment resulted in a decrease in hardness, G' value and WHC. Microstructural analysis revealed that gels treated with ultrasound for 20 min had a compact structure whereas those treated for 40 min contained more protein aggregations and more cavities. Low-field nuclear magnetic resonance (LF-NMR) indicated that ultrasound treatment for 20 min lowered the values of spin-spin relaxation time (T2) and increased the proportion of myofibillar water. Overall, high power ultrasound technology is a promising process which can improve the gelation properties and thereby allowing for a partial reduction in the salt levels in chicken meat gels.

Natural aromatic extract of black tea improved the water retention of pork meat batter.

The effect of varying proportions (w/w) of natural aromatic extract of black tea (NAEBT) with pre-emulsification on the water-holding capacity (WHC) of pork meat batter was investigated. The addition of NAEBT significantly reduced the cooking loss (CL) of pork meat batter from 23.95 % to 18.30 % (P < 0.05). Furthermore, NAEBT with pre-emulsification significantly improved the color stability and increased the springiness (P < 0.05). The results of TBARS and carbonyls indicated that NAEBT with pre-emulsification significantly alleviated oxidative damage to proteins (P < 0.05), resulting in an increased level of ß-sheet (P < 0.05), as confirmed by FT-IR analysis. As a result, the water mobility of pork meat batter was restricted (P < 0.05), resulting in an increase in the energy storage modulus (P < 0.05) and a decrease in the pore size. In summary, the WHC of pork meat batter was improved by the antioxidant effect of the NAEBT.

Modification and simplification of Rongey's method for measurement of meat batter stability.

The method of Rongey for assessment and quantification of meat batter/emulsion stability has over the years proven useful to many research and industrial laboratories around the world. Unfortunately, its requirement for specialized glassware and a very large centrifugation unit makes the method inaccessible to many modern laboratories. We have, therefore, modified Rongey's original method by adapting it to present-day commercially-available glassware and centrifugation equipment. This modified method was validated by comparing it to Rongey's method on both high-fat (27%) and low-fat (10%) finely comminuted pork batters, each with and without the addition of salt (1.8%) and sodium phosphates (0.5%). This design provided us with batters ranging in stability from very low to very high, thus allowing us to compare the methods across analytical extremes. This modified method:•Utilizes glassware and centrifugation equipment that are commercially-available today.•Maintains the simplicity and speed of the original method of Rongey.•Yields results that are comparable to those of Rongey's traditional method.

Effects of combined chickpea protein isolate and chitosan on the improvement of technological quality in phosphate-free pork meat emulsions: Its relation to modifications on protein thermal and structural properties.

The effects of combined chickpea protein isolate (CPI, 1%, w/w) and chitosan (CHI, 1%, w/w) on the technological, thermal, and structural properties of phosphate-free pork meat emulsions (PPMEs) were investigated. The results showed that CPI + CHI significantly improved the emulsion stability (P < 0.05), synergistically elevated the hardness and chewiness, and did not negatively impact the color attributes, which endowed the PPMEs with similar or even better technological performances compared to the high-phosphate control. These alterations were related to the reduced myosin enthalpy values, the rearrangement of free water into immobilized water, the synergistic reduction in α-helical structure and increase in ß-sheet structure, the increased trans-gauche-trans SS conformation intensity of the Raman bands, and the formation of interactive protein gel networks where small-sized fat particles were evenly dispersed in the protein matrix. Therefore, combined CPI and CHI shows promise as a phosphate replacer for meat products.

Impact of replacing pork backfat with rapeseed oleosomes - Natural pre-emulsified oil - On technological properties of meat model systems.

The application of natural oil droplets called oleosomes (OSs) as a potential fat replacer in comminuted meat products was investigated by evaluating the influence of rapeseed OS incorporation at 0, 25, 50, 75 and 100% pork fat substitution levels on the technological properties of meat model systems. The moisture content, pH, L* and b* of meat model systems increased while the fat content and a* decreased with the increasing levels of fat replacement. Treatments prepared with OSs showed improvements in emulsion and oxidative stability of meat batters. Texture profile analysis revealed the production of softer, less gummy and less chewy meat systems, whereas micrographs showed smaller-sized fat globules within compact protein matrices as OS levels were increased. Sensory evaluation results exhibited that treatments with partial replacement (≤ 50%) of pork fat by OSs were generally acceptable. The results demonstrate the possibility of maintaining or improving certain technological properties of meat systems with the use of OSs as fat replacer.

The effect of water-insoluble dietary fiber from star anise on water retention of minced meat gels.

The mechanism of star anise dietary fiber (SADF) in improving the water-holding capacity (WHC) of meat batter during chilled storage was investigated. In the 0-day storage group, the cooking loss (CL) decreased from 11.93% to 9.38% with the increased content of SADF, indicating that the physical filling of SADF could improve the WHC of cooked meat batter. After 7 days of chilled storage, the CL of meat batter without SADF increased from 11.93% to 17.65%, while the addition of SADF significantly reduced the CL, especially 2% SADF showing the lowest CL. Additionally, adding SADF could significantly improve the color stability and increase the hardness of cooked meat batter. According to the results of TBARS and carbonyls, SADF significantly inhibited lipid oxidation and alleviated oxidative damage of protein, resulting in an increase in the level of ß-sheet, which was confirmed by the result of FT-IR. Therefore, the water mobility of meat batter was restricted, which was confirmed by the T2 relaxation time. In general, the water retention of meat batter during chilled storage was improved via antioxidant and physical filling of SADF.

Effects of micro-/nano-scaled chicken bones on heat-induced gel properties of low-salt pork batter: Physicochemical characteristics, water distribution, texture, and microstructure.

The effect and mechanism of micro-/nano-scaled (MCB/NCB) chicken bones on improved gel properties of low-salt (0.5%) pork batters (LSPB) were investigated. Results showed that the Ca2+ released from MCB/NCB induced protein conformational transition of LSPB from α-helix and ß-turn to random coil, which facilitated the orderly protein aggregation, resulting in the formation of denser and more uniform gel network. The better-organized gel network not only improved the textural properties and gel strength, but also contributed to the cooking loss reduction, water release decline, water state transition from free water into more immobilized water, and proton density increase, resulting in better sensory attributes. NCB showed more preferable effects on the property improvement of LSPB gels than MCB, because of its smaller particle size, less redness and yellowness, higher dispersibility, and higher Ca2+ release. This study could help promote the high-value utilization of poultry by-product bones and development of low-salt meat products.

Effect of chopping time and heating on 1 H nuclear magnetic resonance and rheological behavior of meat batter matrix.

The effect of chopping time and heating on physicochemical properties of meat batters was investigated by low-field nuclear magnetic resonance and rheology technology. Cooking loss and L* increased while texture profile analysis index decreased between chopping 5 and 6 min. The relaxation time T21 (bound water) and its peak area ratio decreased, while the ratio of T22 peak area (immobilized water) in raw meat batters gradually increased with the extension of chopping time. However, T22 was opposite after being heated and a new component T23 (free water) appeared (T2i is the spin - spin relaxation time for the ith component.). The initial damping factor (Tan δ) gradually decreased and there were significant difference between 4 and 5 min of chopping time. There were significantly positive correlations between the ratio of peak area of T22 and chopping time, the storage modulus (G'), cooking loss, and L*, respectively. Continued chopping time could improve the peak area proportion of T22 in raw meat batters. Further, the higher the peak area proportion of T22 in raw meat batters, the cooking loss of heated meat gel was higher. Also, the stronger the mobility of immobilized water in meat batter, the higher the L* of the fresh meat batters. Thus, it is revealed that the physicochemical properties of meat batter are significantly influenced by chopping time which further affects the water holding capacity and the texture of emulsification gel.

Physicochemical Properties of Meat Batter Added with Edible Silkworm Pupae (Bombyx mori) and Transglutaminase.

This study was conducted to investigate the physicochemical properties of meat batters prepared with fresh pork meat, back fat, water, and salt and formulated with three different amounts (5%, 10%, and 15%) of silkworm pupae (Bombyx mori) powder and transglutaminase (TG). Meat batters formulated with silkworm pupae powder showed significantly higher contents of protein and ash than control batter. Addition of silkworm pupae to batter also showed significantly lower cooking loss than the control. Moreover, meat batter containing 15% silkworm pupae showed no significant difference in redness value compared to the control. In addition, pH, viscosity, hardness, gumminess, and chewiness were improved after the addition of silkworm pupae. Furthermore, meat batter formulated with TG and silkworm pupae showed improved hardness, gumminess, chewiness and viscosity compared to control batter. Addition of 1% TG with 15% silkworm pupae to meat batter resulted in significantly higher pH, textures, and viscosity. Our data suggest that both silkworm pupae and TG can be added to meat batter to improve its physicochemical properties. Therefore, combination of silkworm pupae and TG could be a new nutritional and functional source for meat products.

Low-field NMR determination of water distribution in meat batters with NaCl and polyphosphate addition.

The objective was to elucidate the influence of NaCl and polyphosphates in the stage of protein swelling on the water-holding capacity (WHC) of meat batter. The meat batters were formulated with salt in different ways by adding established amounts of only NaCl, only polyphosphates, jointly adding NaCl and polyphosphates, and a control without any salt. An increase (p<0.05) in water retention was found when a combination of NaCl and polyphosphates was used. A high textural parameter was observed in the two treatments with NaCl, but not in the group with only polyphosphate. For the polyphosphate group, T22 was lower (p<0.05) than in the other three before heating; however, after heating, T21 and T22 were both significantly decreased, and a new component emerged, T23, which was significantly lower than the others. For the NaCl treatment, heated or not, T22 was always the highest. It was revealed that NaCl had affected the WHC by increasing the mobility and distribution of water, particularly with polyphosphate, but polyphosphate could not be an equal substitute for NaCl given its resulting lowest textural properties and poor microstructure. By presenting different hydration states in the protein swelling stage, the meat batter qualities were differentiated.

Role of interfacial protein membrane in oxidative stability of vegetable oil substitution emulsions applicable to nutritionally modified sausage.

The potential health risk associated with excessive dietary intake of fat and cholesterol has led to a renewed interest in replacing animal fat with nutritionally-balanced unsaturated oil in processed meats. However, as oils are more fluid and unsaturated than fats, one must overcome the challenge of maintaining both physical and chemical (oxidative) stabilities of prepared emulsions. Apart from physical entrapments, an emulsion droplet to be incorporated into a meat protein gel matrix (batter) should be equipped with an interactive protein membrane rather than a small surfactant, and the classical DLVO stabilization theory becomes less applicable. This review paper describes the steric effects along with chemical roles (radical scavenging and metal ion chelation) of proteins and their structurally modified derivatives as potential interface-building materials for oxidatively stable meat emulsions.

Color Developing Capacity of Plasma-treated Water as a Source of Nitrite for Meat Curing.

The interaction of plasma with liquid generates nitrogen species including nitrite (NO(-) 2). Therefore, the color developing capacity of plasma-treated water (PTW) as a nitrite source for meat curing was investigated in this study. PTW, which is generated by surface dielectric barrier discharge in air, and the increase of plasma treatment time resulted in increase of nitrite concentration in PTW. The PTW used in this study contains 46 ppm nitrite after plasma treatment for 30 min. To evaluate the effect of PTW on the cured meat color, meat batters were prepared under three different conditions (control, non-cured meat batter; PTW, meat batter cured with PTW; Sodium nitrite, meat batter cured with sodium nitrite). The meat batters were vacuum-packaged and cooked in a water-bath at 80℃ for 30 min. The typical color of cured meat developed in cooked meat batter treated with sodium nitrite or PTW. The lightness (L*) and yellowness (b*) values were similar in all conditions, whereas, the redness (a*) values of cooked meat batter with PTW and sodium nitrite (p<0.05) were significantly higher than the control. These data indicate that PTW can be used as a nitrite source in the curing process of meat without addition of other nitrite sources.

A comparative quality appraisal of finely comminuted batters produced using three types of knives.

The aim of this study was to compare the work efficiency of three types of knives mounted successively on a knife roll of a cutter by evaluating the quality and structure of produced finely comminuted batters as well as power consumption and electric energy consumption during chopping. Experimental material comprised finely comminuted meat batters produced under commercial scale production conditions using smooth knives, knives with riffles and knives with holes. Parameters measured in batter included temperature, water, fat, free water, apparent viscosity, thermal drip and batter structure using computer image analysis. Computer image analysis showed that the best comminution and dispersion of fat globules in the protein matrix together with very good comminution of collagen fibres were observed at the application of knives with holes. Among the three types of knives used in the production of finely comminuted meat batters the best batter in terms of its quality and structure was produced using knives with holes.

Oil bulking agents based on polysaccharide gels in meat batters: a Raman spectroscopic study.

A Raman spectroscopic study was performed to determine protein and lipid structural properties in meat batter containing oil bulking agents as pork backfat replacers. Meat batters were prepared with pork backfat (MB-PF) or with a combination of olive oil, sodium alginate, CaSO4, sodium pyrophosphate and dextrin (MB-A/D) or inulin (MB-A/I) as a fat replacer. Proximate composition, pH, cooking loss (CL), colour and texture were evaluated. MB-A/D and MB-A/I both showed lower (P<0.05) CL and a(*) values, higher (P<0.05) L(*) and b(*) values, and higher (P<0.05) hardness and chewiness. MB-A/I showed the highest hardness and chewiness. Enhancement of the ß-sheet structure was observed in MB-A/D and MB-A/I, more so in MB-A/I. There was increased disorder in the oil acyl chains, which involve lipid-protein interactions, in both MB-A/D and MB-A/I. Structural characteristics in proteins and lipids may be associated with specific water and fat binding properties and textural characteristics of meat batters.