The role of soy protein, carrageenan and starch in meat processing

2024,10,29

In order to make the meat products have better quality, in addition to selecting good meat raw materials, meat product auxiliary materials such as soy protein, starch, carrageenan, etc. are often added during production. These auxiliary materials are of great significance to improving the structure, texture, yield and other functions of meat products. In addition to the above characteristics, they can also reduce the cost of production links.

01 Soy protein

Soy protein is a complete protein that contains all kinds of amino acids necessary for the human body and is an ideal protein source. Adding soy protein can enhance the nutritional content of meat products. Soy protein can improve the texture, flavor and processing characteristics of meat products and reduce production costs. Soy protein can improve the texture of products, increase the hardness and elasticity of products, make the structure of products dense, taste better, and prevent the oil and water from coming out of meat products. After adding soy protein to meat products, the cooking time of meat products is shortened, thereby reducing cooking losses, improving tissue structure and improving product quality.

In addition to its adsorption effect on water, soy protein also has the ability to retain moisture during processing. Soy protein contains a small amount of fatty acids and carbohydrates, which will produce a unique aroma after heating, which can mask the unpleasant odor of raw meat or auxiliary materials in meat processing and the unpleasant odor produced by processing. Using the functional characteristics of soy protein isolate, various reconstituted meat products can also be made. They have the flavor and taste of natural meat products, and are characterized by high protein, low fat, no cholesterol and high nutritional value.

Soy protein is an important auxiliary material in meat processing. A small amount of soy protein will lead to a loose product structure and a soft taste. It will also cause the product flavor to be inconsistent, unable to mask bad odors and achieve the effect of enhancing flavor. On the contrary, excessive use will cause the product to have a strong aroma and a hard taste. When 5% soy protein isolate is added to cooked food products, the hardness, sliceability and cohesion of the product are better. Soy protein must be added to chopped meat products before marinating to avoid the salt resistance of soy protein.

Since soy protein will undergo a reversible reaction when it encounters salt, which weakens its emulsification, oil retention and water retention, in order to maximize the functionality of soy protein, polyphosphate and salt must be added after the soy protein is completely hydrated.

02 Carrageenan

Carrageenan, also known as carrageenan and antler algae, is a high molecular hydrophilic polysaccharide extracted from red algae. Its chemical structure is a linear polysaccharide compound composed of D-galactose and 3,6-anhydro-D-galactose residues.

Carrageenan can be used in poultry products to improve and retain moisture, flavor, texture, cutting, freezing and thawing, and stability. For example, carrageenan can be used in ham and ham sausage to gel, emulsify, retain water, and enhance elasticity, especially to provide appropriate water retention. Even when making products with high yields, it can have good water retention. And because it can complex with protein, it can provide a fairly good organizational structure, so that the product has delicate, good slicing, good taste, good elasticity, moderate toughness and crispness, tender and refreshing properties, thereby improving product quality and reducing costs. It is a necessary food additive for making ham.

The amount of carrageenan used in ham is generally 0.75%, and after injection, rolling and kneading and other process control, good results can be obtained.

03 Starch

Starch can enhance the cohesion strength of meat protein, improve the organizational structure, enhance water retention, increase the yield rate, and reduce production costs. The emulsifying properties of starch can prevent oil and water seepage in meat products and improve product quality. It has been widely used in the processing of marinated meat.

Different types of starch have different effects on meat products. The adhesion and hardness of protein in meat products increase with the increase of viscosity and water retention, and also increase with the increase of amylopectin. Potato starch with high amylopectin content produces higher cohesive binding force and elasticity than wheat starch with less amylose, and the tensile force of cohesion also increases with the increase of amylopectin. Therefore, when choosing starch for meat products, starch varieties with a higher content of amylopectin should be selected. Excessive starch will make the product texture rough, too hard, inelastic, light in color, and poor in taste.

In production, attention should be paid to controlling the amount of starch used, and modified starch can be used instead of natural starch. Modified starch is a multifunctional food additive used in food processing. It can facilitate the processing technology, provide excellent structure for food, improve the thickening, suspension, water retention and stabilization ability of starch, make food have satisfactory sensory quality and edible quality, and extend the shelf life of food.

Adding appropriate starch in meat processing can significantly improve the texture of the finished product, with bright cut surface, good elasticity, delicate taste, and the finished product is not easy to precipitate and regenerate during the process of hot and cold temperature changes, and the color change is small. It extends the shelf life of the finished product and can solve the defects of natural starch in application.

Author:

Mr. Peter Han

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sales@ihelper.net

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