Effect of a beating process, as a means of reducing salt content in Chinese-style meatballs (kung-wan): A dynamic rheological and Raman spectroscopy study

•Beating process allowed for production of lower salt and higher quality products.•Compared with chopping, beating improved emulsified stability.•Beating resulted in better sensory evaluation than chopping.•Beating could decrease the effect of denaturation of myosin tails.•Beating changed the secondary structures, especially β-sheet and β-turns.

Chopping and beating processes were used as meat-cutting methods in preparing kung-wan to produce low-salt products while retaining or improving the emulsion stability, sensory evaluation, and physico-chemical properties of the standard high-salt formulation. Increased salt content improved emulsion stability and dynamic rheology. However, 3% salt content decreased the overall acceptance of kung-wan. Compared with the chopping process, beating resulted in higher emulsion stability, overall acceptance, and β-sheet content (P < 0.05). Additionally, the beating process formed more compact and continuous structures at the same salt content. Kung-wan produced by beating with 1% and 2% salt had similar emulsion stabilities, sensory evaluation, and secondary structures (P > 0.05). Therefore, this process allows reduction of salt content, suggesting that the kung-wan produced in this manner is healthier and has better texture.