Influence of molecular weight and degree of substitution of various carboxymethyl celluloses on unheated and heated emulsion-type sausage models.

Four carboxymethyl celluloses (CMCs) differing in molecular weight (MW) and degree of substitution (°DS) were initially characterized in NaCl solution (0.1 M) and on properties of emulsion-type sausage models. The impact of the different CMCs (0-2 wt%) on the rheological behavior and firmness of an emulsion-type sausage models containing 1.8wt% NaCl was studied. Rheology (unheated/heated) and firmness (heated) showed an increasing effect with increasing CMC concentrations. Addition of>1wt% CMC led to a decrease in storage modulus of the unheated/heated batter and to a decrease in firmness of heated independent of the CMC-type used. CLSM revealed that high amounts of CMCs prevented formation of a coherent protein matrix. Water-binding capacity indicated that CMC contributed to the water-retention capability of sausage batters. Small differences between the CMCs were observed using various °DS and similar MW. Results indicate that the addition of low CMC concentrations (≤0.5wt%) may help to reduce fat content.

Impact of carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) and microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) on functional characteristics of emulsified sausages.

Inclusion of fibers, such as carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) and microcrystalline cellulose (MCC), at the expense of fat or protein in meat batters could be used to produce healthier sausages while lowering production costs. To study the impact of CMC/MCC on structural/functional characteristics of emulsified sausages, standard-fat Lyoner-style sausages were formulated with CMC/MCC at concentrations of 0.3-2.0%. Methods of analysis included rheology, water binding capacity (WBC), texture measurements, and Confocal Laser Scanning Microscopy (CLSM). WBC, texture measurements, and rheology all indicated that addition of CMC (>0.7%) led to destabilization of the batter, which upon heating could no longer be converted into a coherent protein network, a fact that was also revealed in CLSM images. In contrast, MCC was highly compatible with the matrix and improved firmness (1405-1651N/100g) with increasing concentration compared to control (1381N/100g) while keeping WBC (4.6-5.9%) with <2% MCC at the level of the control (4.8%). Results were discussed in terms of molecular interactions of meat proteins with celluloses.

Advances in ingredient and processing systems for meat and meat products.

Changes in consumer demand of meat products as well as increased global competition are causing an unprecedented spur in processing and ingredient system developments within the meat manufacturing sector. Consumers demand healthier meat products that are low in salt, fat, cholesterol, nitrites and calories in general and contain in addition health-promoting bioactive components such as for example carotenoids, unsaturated fatty acids, sterols, and fibers. On the other hand, consumers expect these novel meat products with altered formulations to taste, look and smell the same way as their traditionally formulated and processed counterparts. At the same time, competition is forcing the meat processing industry to use the increasingly expensive raw material "meat" more efficiently and produce products at lower costs. With these changes in mind, this article presents a review of novel ingredient systems and processing approaches that are emerging to create high quality, affordable meat products not only in batch mode but also in large-scale continuous processes. Fat replacers, fat profile modification and cholesterol reduction techniques, new texture modifiers and alternative antioxidant and antimicrobial systems are being discussed. Modern processing equipment to establish continuously operating product manufacturing lines and that allow new meat product structures to be created and novel ingredients to be effectively utilized including vacuum fillers, grinders and fine dispersers, and slicers is reviewed in the context of structure creation in meat products. Finally, trends in future developments of ingredient and processing systems for meat products are highlighted.