Use of cold-set binders in meat systems

3D printing of meat

“…TGase is an enzyme obtained from animal blood or bacterial fermentation which catalyses cross-linking of proteins and peptides, and thus is commonly known as meat glue (Boles, 2011). Microbial TGase (mTGase) is enzyme system applicable for meat cold binding mechanisms based on the covalent cross-linking of glutamine and lysine in protein molecules (Payne, 2009), resulting in the modification of physical and chemical properties of food products, such as viscosity, firmness, thermal stability, elasticity and water holding capacity.…”

“…Although the enzyme has been isolated from different sources, the microbial-based represents more profitability for the industry and thus is more widely used (Boles, 2011). mTGase has…”

“…Since the cross-linking process can start within 20 min (according to the doses) of contact, adding TGase to the mixture right before extrusion prevents the paste from binding before deposition has occurred. Furthermore, the addition of salts and phosphates is recommended to aid the extraction of salt soluble proteins, such as myofribrillar and some sarcoplasmic (Boles, 2011), and thus increase the binding matrix. For instance, the addition of NaCl resulted in reduced gel setting time (from 1.5 to 1 h) for porcine meat batters containing 1% mTGase with increased water binding capacity (Sadeghi-Mehr, Raudsepp, Brüggemann, Lautenschlaeger, & Drusch, 2018).…”

“…lactic acid) to aid the slow-release of calcium. When in contact with meat products under moulded shaping, it slowly forms an irreversible gel taking from 2 to 48 hours at 0-5°C for the gel to set, depending on the solubility of the calcium source (Boles, 2011;Means & Schmidt, 1986). The recommended concentration for structured meats is 1.5%, allowing the addition of 1% salt and 35% water (BDF Ingredients, n.d.).…”

“…The two components in the system are packed and frozen individually and require thawing until a temperature of 26.6 °C is reached before contact with the meat pieces. The mixture is rapidly moulded since it takes around 10 to 15 minutes before reaction starts, requiring a minimum of 5 hours for maximum gel strength with a typical usage dose of 5-10% depending on the dimensions of the meat pieces (Boles, 2011). In the case of meat emulsions, the contact time for maximum strength may vary depending on the FT doses and the interaction…”