Performances of Cold-Set Binders, Food Hydrocolloids, and Commercial Meat Binder on the Physical and Chemical Characteristics of Tilapia Fish Balls

Traditional restructured technology involves adding salt and phosphate in comminuted meat with the aid of mechanical force, which can extract meat myofibrillar proteins that can hold large amount of water. Phosphate has a similar function to the most effective water-binding agents in processed meat, such as binders and stabilizers. However, addition salt and phosphate in to meat products could cause health hypertension and high blood pressure health issues. Several cold-set techniques have been developed in order to meet the consumer demand for various restructured meats. The techniques include using polysaccharides [1-3] pearl E and pearl F, blood plasma fractions [4], and microbial transglutaminase enzyme preparations [5]. The functions of binders and stabilizers in meat products are to form various cuts of meat into affordable and acceptable innovative muscle food productions. Based on the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) definition, binders are used to thicken or to improve texture, consistency and sensory scores of meat. Stabilizers are food additives that contribute an optimal finished meat system and provide value-added qualities to meat system applications. It also can improve finished product stability, provide consistent texture and viscosity, and make food products firmer. Currently, there are many products available in the supermarket, which are made by binding comminuted meat products along with spices, seasonings, and stabilizer in to one cohesive product. Various binders are available to meat processors. Some binders are proteins, such as soy protein isolate, pea protein, wheat protein, milk casein ate, gelatin, and egg protein. Some binders are derived from enzymes, such as transglutaminase and beef fibrin. Some binders contain little or no protein, such as fibers, flours, and starches. Hydrocolloids are another type binder that is widely used into meat products, which have been employed by the meat industry to function as gelling agents, stabilizers, or thickening agents. These hydrocolloids can be dissolved or dispersed into aqueous solution, which can increase viscosity or gel formation [6]. Most of these hydrocolloids come from either plant (polysaccharides) or animal sources (protein). Many reports have addressed the applications of polysaccharides in the meat industry as meat binders. Polysaccharides are comprised of three subgroups, including nonionic, anionic and cationic. Nonionic polysaccharides include hydroxyethyl cellulose and dextrin; anionic polysaccharides include xanthenes gum, carrageen an, guar gum, alginate and Carboxy Methyl Cellulose (CMC); cationic polysaccharides include arginine hydrochloride and chitosan [6,7]. The first cold-set binding system is a sodium alginate system. The three most common ingredients in alginate binding or gelling systems are alginate salt, a calcium source, and acidulantor sequestrate, such as encapsulated. Lactic acid or Glucono Delta Lactones (GDL) [8]. The calcium source in an alginate binding system should be added at the last stage of the process to avoid preResearch Article