Effect of Transglutaminase Treatment on the Structure and Sensory Properties of Rice- or Soy-Based Hybrid Sausages

Abstract

Partial substitution of meat with non-protein sources in hybrid meat products generally leads to a decrease in texture attributes and, consequently, in sensory acceptance. In this study, we investigated the effects of transglutaminase (TG) at two concentrations (0.25% and 0.5%) on the physicochemical, textural, and sensory properties of hybrid sausages formulated with concentrated soy or rice proteins. TG caused a reduction in the heat treatment yield of hybrid sausages, particularly those made with rice protein. pH and color parameters were marginally affected by TG addition. Texture parameters increased substantially with TG, although escalating the TG level from 0.25% to 0.5% did not result in a proportional improvement in texture parameters; in fact, for rice-based hybrid sausages, no difference was achieved for all attributes, while only cohesiveness and chewiness were improved for soy-based ones. TG enhanced the sensory attributes of soy-based hybrid sausages to a level comparable to control meat emulsion, as evidenced by ordinate preference score and projective mapping. Our findings suggest that TG is a viable strategy for enhancing texture and sensory parameters in hybrid sausages, particularly for plant proteins that exhibit greater compatibility with the meat matrix.

Development and Process Optimization of a Steamed Fish Paste Cake Prototype for Room Temperature Distribution

“…ACTIVA TG-K acts as texture enhancer by forming the ε-(γ-glutamyl) lysine crosslinking of myosin heavy chain during the setting of salted fish paste, thereby contributing to a firmer and more cohesive texture [47]. Similar to previous studies on the use of TGs for improving gel strength [13][14][15][16][17][18], we observed an increase in the gel strength of the developed fish paste cake prototype containing 0.3% and 0.5% ACTIVA TG-K. Even though ACTIVA TG-K improved gel strength at both 0.3% and 0.5% concentrations, considering the manufacturing cost of the fish paste cakes, the optimal ratio of ACTIVA TG-K addition was decided at 0.3%.…”

“…Panelists generally rated the appearance, color, flavor, texture, and overall liking of these products at a moderate level [15,16]. Notably, Muoi et al [17] found that the addition of 0.7% TGs significantly enhanced the gel properties of fried fish cakes made from frozen snakehead fish surimi, while dos Santos et al [18] reported improved textural and sensory properties in soy-based hybrid sausages with the addition of 0.25% TGs. In this study, we aimed to enhance the storage characteristics of fish paste cake using high-temperature and high-pressure processing, while minimizing associated decreases in physical properties by incorporating edible TGs.…”