PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL INFLUENCES ON MEAT EMULSION STABILITY IN A MODEL EMULSITATOR

Abstract

ABSTRACT A new method of preparing laboratory meat emulsions utilizing the concept of continuous‐flow emulsification was developed to simulate industrial conditions. High speed centrifugation was used to separate phases of preblends and emulsions for the investigation of protein solubility Studies of the effect of water:meat ratio on the protein solubility or preblended and emulsified meat indicated that increasing water: meat ratios resulted in preblends and emulsions with larger soluble phases and lower soluble protein concentrations in the soluble phase. The effects of preblending method, temperature of meat prior to preblending, level of added water and temperature of the added water on the temperature of preblends and emulsions, protein solubility, NaCl concentration, cooked emulsion stability and firmness of the cooked emulsions were established. Temperature of the meat (‐30, ‐10 or 0°C) accounted for the largest proportion of the variation in temperature of preblends and emulsions, protein solubility and cooked emulsion stability. Lower temperatures in preblends and emulsions were associated with the colder meat temperatures. The data indicated that emulsions prepared with ‐10°C meat had the poorest cooked emulsion stability as compared to those prepared with ‐30 and 0°C meat. Level of added water (10, 20, 30 or 40%) significantly affected the temperature of preblends, protein solubility, cooked emulsion stability and firmness of the cooked emulsions. The 10% level of added water resulted in firmer emulsions with greater cooked stability. Temperature of the added water (0, 30, 60, or 90°C) had a significant effect on the temperature of preblends and emulsions, cooked emulsion stability and firmness of the cooked emulsions. Adding 90°C water resulted in emulsions with the poorest cooked stability while adding 0°C water resulted in firmer cooked emulsions.