Stability improvement of reduced-fat reduced-salt meat batter through modulation of secondary and tertiary protein structures by means of high pressure processing

• Published in: Meat science 2021-06, Vol.176, p.108439-108439, Article 108439
• Main Authors: Yang, Huijuan, Tao, Fei, Cao, Guangtian, Han, Minyi, Xu, Xinglian, Zhou, Guanghong, Shen, Qing
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Emulsion-type sausages; High pressure processing; Myofibrillar proteins; Protein structures; Reduced-fat; Reduced-salt
• ISSN: 0309-1740; 1873-4138
• DOI: 10.1016/j.meatsci.2021.108439

This study investigated the effect of high-pressure processing (HPP) at 100 to 400 MPa for 2 min on the stability of reduced-fat reduced-salt (RFRS) meat batter. Total expressible fluid (TEF) of RFRS batter reached its minimum value at 200 MPa. The results of Raman spectra revealed that α-helix reached its random coils increased as the pressure level was increased, and pressure up to 200 MPa remarkably increased protein unfolding but 400 MPa increased aggregation. Finally, Raman spectra and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed that 200 MPa significantly increased tryptophan, tyrosine doublet, CH3 and/or CH stretching and proton intensities related to water and fats; but decreased β structures, SS stretching (475) and (g-g-t or t-g-t, 540), as compared with the control. RFRS batter treated at 200 MPa is beneficial for the meat industry from the technological point of view and for consumers from the health point of view, as the improved emulsion stability contributed by the modified secondary and tertiary structures. •RFRS meat batter was made to prepare health-friendly sausages.•HPP treatment reduced the drip loss problems of RFRS batter.•HPP altered α-helix, β structures, random coils and CH3, CH, OH, and SS stretchings.•HPP enhanced proton intensities, H-bonding and protein interactions of RFRS batter.