Effects of sodium chloride or salt substitutes on rheological properties and water-holding capacity of flour and hardness of noodles

Construction of a soybean protein isolate/polysaccharide-based whole muscle meat analog: Physical properties and freeze-thawing stability study

A growing interest has arisen in recreating real meat by mimicking its texture characteristics and muscle fiber structure. Our previous work successfully created meat analog fiber based on soybean protein isolate (SPI) and sodium alginate (SA) with the wet-spinning method. In this work, we analyzed the microstructure, texture profile, and water retainability of the assembled plant-based whole muscle meat analog (PMA) made of SPI/SA-based meat analog fiber and systematically studied the effect of different combinations and contents of transglutaminase (TG), salt, and soybean oil on the rheological behavior of the formulated adhesive. The estimated optimal condition that has the most similar texture characteristic with real chicken breast meat is: for every 1:1 mass ratio of simulated plant meat fibers to the adhesive, add 0.1 % TG enzyme addition in the adhesive and 100 mM NaCl addition. The physical behavior of PMA during cryopreservation was investigated through freeze-thaw cycles and freezing times. The addition of a small amount of oil and salt can efficiently prevent the PMA through freezing conditions which is comparable with the addition of D-Trehalose (TD). Overall, this study not only created a plant-based whole muscle meat analog product that is similar in texture to real chicken breast meat but also provided a new direction for constructing fiber-rich structure protein-based muscle meat analogs and their further commercialization.

Effects of NaCl on the Physical Properties of Cornstarch-Methyl Cellulose Blend and on Its Gel Prepared with Rice Flour in a Model System

This study investigated the impact of NaCl on the physical properties of cornstarch-methyl cellulose (CS-MC) mixtures and their gels prepared with rice flour in a model system. Opposite trends were observed, showing that NaCl led to decreased viscosity of the CS-MC mixtures (liquid-based), whereas a more stable and robust structure was observed for the rice-flour-added gels (solid-based) with the addition of NaCl. The interference of NaCl with the CS-MS blend's ability to form a stable gel network resulted in a thinner consistency, as the molecules of the CS-MS blend may not bind together as effectively. On the contrary, NaCl showed the potential to enhance the protein network within CS-MC gels prepared with rice flour, thereby contributing to an augmentation in the stability or firmness of the cooked gels. Careful utilization of NaCl to optimize the physical properties of the CS-MC blends, as well as the gels based on rice flour, should be performed.

Cold plasma treatment to improve jelly production using a fused deposition modeling 3D printer

Herein, the effects of cold plasma (CP) on the rheological properties of gelatin-based solutions for 3D jelly printing using a fused deposition modeling method were investigated. The gelatin powder was packaged in a nylon/polyethylene pouch with nitrogen gas and subjected to CP treatment at 15 W for 10 min using atmospheric dielectric barrier discharge plasma treatment. CP treatment reduced the relative proportion of polar functional groups on the surface of the gelatin powder and forged new bonds (e.g., C-C) that reduced the hydrophilicity of the material. Furthermore, it increased the storage modulus and yield stress of the jelly formulation and lowered the phase angle, improving the fidelity and shape retention of the 3D printed jelly. Using CP-treated gelatin, inferior jelly formulations could be tuned to satisfy established printing criteria. CP treatment can control the rheological properties involved in the 3D printing of jelly.