Enhanced textural properties of plant-based patties treated using crosslinking-catalyzed enzymes compared with those of beef patties

• Published in: Food Science and Technology Research Vol. 30; no. 4; pp. 467 - 477
• Main Authors: Sakai, Kiyota, Okada, Masamichi, Yamaguchi, Shotaro
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Tsukuba Japanese Society for Food Science and Technology 01.01.2024; Japan Science and Technology Agency
• Subjects: Beef; Binders; Binding; Carbohydrates; Crosslinking; Enzymes; laccase; Meat; Meat products; Methylcellulose; Pectin; Physical properties; Plant-based foods; plant-based meat analog; Sensory evaluation; sugar beet pectin; Texture; texture profile analysis; transglutaminase
• ISSN: 1344-6606; 1881-3984
• DOI: 10.3136/fstr.FSTR-D-24-00014

An unresolved issue with plant-based meat analog (PBMA) products is their lower texture and juiciness than animal-derived meat products. Almost all commercial PBMA patties are constructed using methylcellulose (MC). Thus, this study aimed to develop better formulations of binding systems for PBMA patties that simulate the physical properties of beef patties than MC binder. We investigated the formulations of binding systems using crosslinking-catalyzed enzymes (transglutaminase [TG] and laccase [LC]) and 2–4 % carbohydrate binders (MC and sugar beet pectin [SBP]). Texture profile analysis using a rheometer and sensory scores by nine panelists revealed that TG-catalyzed PBMA patties with 3 % MC and LC-catalyzed PBMA patties with 4 % SBP were similar to beef patties than PBMA patties constructed with any MC concentration. These findings suggest that binding systems using crosslinking-catalyzed enzymes and carbohydrate binders could bridge the gap in physical properties between the current MC-based PBMA and beef patties.