Enrichment of meat emulsion with mushroom (Agaricus bisporus) powder: Impact on rheological and structural characteristics

Mushrooms are considered to be a next-generation health food due to their rich protein content with high biological value, fiber and bioactive compounds. Utilization of the protein and fiber contents of mushroom for the production of functional meat products with better emulsion characteristics was the aim of this study. Therefore, the influence of mushroom powder (MP) addition (0-3%) on the properties of a model meat emulsion was investigated. Dynamic and creep-recovery analyses were conducted to reveal the effect of MP on emulsion stability by evaluating internal structure variations. Samples with 2% MP added exhibited higher resistance to applied stress and higher gel-like behavior, complex viscosity, pseudoplastic behavior, heat resistance and emulsion strength compared with other samples. Modifications of the chemical structure of emulsions with MP included were confirmed by examination of Fourier-transform infrared spectra. The addition of 2% MP provided a higher protein adsorption at the lipid interface, resulting in a well-ordered emulsion structure. As a final product, cooked meat emulsion exhibited improvement in textural properties with the addition of 2% MP. Therefore, supplementation of emulsions with mushroom powder may help to obtain a functional product with better characteristics.