Textural and thermal properties of low-lipid meat emulsions formulated with fish oil and different binders

The effect of the addition of several binders (milk proteins concentrate, whey protein concentrate, thermally treated whey protein concentrate, ovalbumin, hydroxypropylmethylcellulose, methylcellulose, mixtures of κ:ι carrageenans or xanthan-locust bean gums) to low-lipid meat emulsions formulated with fish oil were compared to control formulations with fat or fish oil without any binder added. Process yields were higher than 96 g/100 g, except for formulation with hydroxypropylmethylcellulose. Formulations with hydrocolloids presented less weight lost by centrifugation than both controls. The differences in the amount of non-frozen water explain the results obtained for process yield and liquid released by centrifugation. Significant differences in hardness were found between formulations. Addition of milk proteins concentrate, xanthan-locust bean gums, and mix of carrageenans gave the highest hardness, similar to control formulation with fat. Hardness presented a good correlation with the plateau modulus obtained from frequency sweep curves. The mechanical spectra of cooked batters showed a gel-like behavior. Viscoelastic behavior of the cooked batters was satisfactory modeled using broadened BSW equation to predict the mechanical relaxation spectrum in the linear viscoelastic range. Thermo-rheological curves were related with modulated differential scanning calorimetry results.

► Macromolecules addition improved texture and rheology of the products.
► Additives did not modify the overall microstructural pattern of systems.
► Additives influenced the level of interactions among macromolecular components.
► Meat sausages with fish oil or beef tallow had similar quality characteristics.