Textural properties and microstructure of low-fat and sodium-reduced meat batters formulated with gellan gum and dicationic salts

• Published in: Food science & technology 2009-03, Vol.42 (2), p.563-569
• Main Authors: Totosaus, Alfonso, Pérez-Chabela, M. Lourdes
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: batters; Biological and medical sciences; calcium chloride; cooking quality; fat substitutes; Food industries; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gellan gum; gums; hardness; low fat foods; low sodium diet; Low-fat; manganese chloride; Meat and meat product industries; meat emulsions; meat quality; Microstructure; potassium chloride; Reduced-sodium; salts; Sausages; shear strength; Texture; water content
• ISSN: 0023-6438; 1096-1127
• DOI: 10.1016/j.lwt.2008.07.016

Instrumental texture characteristics of low-fat, reduced-sodium meat batters formulated with other salts (KCl and MgCl 2 or CaCl 2) with gellan gum were evaluated. Fat and sodium reduction through incorporation of gellan gum and either of the dicationic salts produced less rigid, more ductile structures. Inclusion of magnesium chloride resulted in better performance, whereas addition of calcium chloride resulted in less desirable properties. The dicationic salts level used probably inhibited the gellan gum thermoreversible properties, affecting its water holding properties. Microstructural differences between the dicationic salt treatments were apparently due to the effect of dicationic salt concentration on myofibrillar protein extraction and solubilization, and gellan gum gelation properties. Use of magnesium chloride in tandem with gellan gum in the studied low-fat, reduced-sodium meat batters effectively compensated for the structural differences caused by fat and sodium reduction.