Recently, the Chinese Food Processing and Equipment Innovation Team, Institute of Food Science and Technology (IFST), Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS) investigated the effects of different plant polysaccharides as fat substitutes on the gel properties, microstructure and digestion characteristics of myofibrillar protein. This work was published in the top journal " Food Hydrocolloids" (JCR Q1, IF=10.7).

Muscle food plays a crucial role in the human diet by providing a rich source of high-quality protein with a balanced amino acid profile. Fat in meat products plays an important role in enhancing various characteristics, especially meat products, including flavor, texture, hardness, juiciness, mouthfeel, moisture, and technological properties. However, the consumption of saturated fats and trans fats over the long term has been associated with various health conditions, such as coronary heart disease, type II diabetes, and obesity, etc. Therefore, there is a need to develop novel approaches for substituting fat in meat products that can preserve the physicochemical properties and sensory quality, even when fat is reduced or removed.

This study investigated the effect of different polysaccharides (inulin, κ-carrageenan, and konjac glucomannan) as fat substitutes on the gel properties, microstructure and digestion characteristics of myofibrillar protein (MP). The results revealed that incorporating inulin, κ-carrageenan, and konjac glucomannan significantly improved the water holding capacity, texture profiles, and rheological behavior of MP gels while limiting water fluidity. Additionally, adding of polysaccharides could reduce the MP digestibility and increase the particle size of digestive products. 1% konjac glucomannan improved myofibrillar protein's gel strength, microstructure and digestibility compared to inulin and k-carrageenan. Overall, this study provides a theoretical basis for developing low-fat muscle food with good quality and digestive behavior.

Professor Dequan Zhang and Li Chen are the corresponding author and the GSCAAS-LGg program PhD student Caiyan Huang is the first author. his study was financially supported by the Key R&D Program of Shandong Province, China (2022TZXD0021), and the Project of ‘The Largest in the Country’ of Institute of Food Science and Technology, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (G2022IFST04).

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodhyd.2023.109717