Functional quality attributes of hybrid meat emulsions made with different raw materials and soy protein"

The need for more sustainable food options is putting hybrid meat products on the industry's radar. In this context, replacing part of the animal protein with vegetable protein is a promising strategy. After all, it directly affects the protein matrix of the meat, which can alter characteristics to evaluate the quality of the product. We evaluate what happens when 50% of the protein from pork, beef, chicken and MSM emulsions (mechanically separated chicken meat) is replaced by Textured Soy Protein (TSP) while maintaining the same total protein content. To do this, we compared control samples (100% meat) with the hybrid versions, analyzing a series of physical-chemical and technological parameters. The addition of TSP increased the pH and water activity in all meats studied. This was expected, since TSP has an alkaline characteristic and a great capacity to retain moisture. The visual appearance has also changed dramatically. The Whiteness Index increased significantly in all hybrids. In practice, the emulsions became noticeably paler and lost that characteristic red tone of the meat, an effect caused by the light color of the soybeans and the dilution of the natural pigments of the meat. Great news came from the stability of the emulsions, which remained excellent (over 96%) in most cases. The only exception was beef emulsion with PTS, which showed a slight drop in performance, suggesting that this particular matrix may have a harder time interacting with the plant-based protein. At the time of the bite, the texture also changed