Abstract
[Purpose]It is known that the gelation of sodium alginate with calcium ions can be applied to produce a meat analogue that has a texture close to livestock meat. However, no studies have been examined the conditions assuming an actual manufacturing site. In this study, we focused on the process of soaking meat substitutes in a calcium acetate solution, and investigated a manufacturing method to prevent the occurrence of meat substitutes with undesirable textures that may occur when scaled up. [Methods] Sodium alginate, plant powder, rapeseed oil, salt, and water were mixed. Defatted soybean flour or isolated rice protein was used as a protein source. The mixture was poured into a mold and frozen in a freezer at -20℃. At that time, a waterproof thermocouple was embedded in the center of the mixture to record the temperature. The frozen mixtures were immersed in a calcium acetate solution at 4~60℃ for 24 hours and became gelled. The gelled materials were removed from the calcium solution and frozen again. After that, they were thawed and the longitudinal section and texture were confirmed. [Results] When immersed in the calcium solution at 4℃ for 24 hours, a uniform and dense pore structure was formed, and the texture was not similar to livestock meat. In addition, when the solution was maintained at 60℃ for 30 minutes from the start of soaking and then refrigerated at 4℃, a difference in the pore structure was confirmed between the center and the periphery of the cross-section, and the texture was not like livestock meat. On the other hand, when immersed in the solution warmed to 60℃, left at 25℃ for 30 minutes, and then refrigerated at 4℃, a streak-like and layered pore structure was formed in the cross-section, and the texture was close to livestock meat.
