Protein interactions in comminuted meat gels containing emulsified corn oil

Model comminuted meat gels incorporating corn oil droplets, emulsified either with salt-soluble meat proteins (SSMP) or with soy protein isolate (SPI), were prepared by heat treatment of meat paste at 90 °C, and their strength was evaluated by applying a uniaxial compression test. The presence of emulsified oil droplets resulted in a significant reduction of the gel network strength, the extent of decrease being independent of the type of protein emulsifier used. Gels prepared with SSMP, on the other hand, suffered a less pronounced structure disruption by oil droplet incorporation and the extent of disruption depended on the type of protein used for oil emulsification. Competitive adsorption studies in emulsions between SSMP and SPI indicated that the former may partly displace the latter from oil droplet surface, thus, offering binding sites to which the SSMP molecules of the gel network may become attached during the development of system structure.