Impact of Konjac Gum-Carrageenan Mixture on the Properties of Phosphorus-Free Chicken Meat Gels
WANG Yuntao, LI Rui, ZHAO Jiansheng, DONG Mingjie, CHEN Bo, WANG Yu, BAI Yanhong
1. Collaborative Innovation Center of Food Production and Safety, Henan Province, Key Laboratory of Cold Chain Food Processing and Safety Control, Ministry of Education, College of Food and Bioengineering, Zhengzhou University of Light Industry, Zhengzhou 450001, China; 2. Henan Shuanghui Investment Development Co. Ltd., Luohe 462000, China
Abstract：To meet the processing needs of non-phosphorus meat products, konjac gum-carrageenan mixtures at different mass ratio were used as a substitute for sodium tripolyphosphate (STPP), and their effects and mechanisms on the gel quality of chicken surimi was examined. The structure and properties of non-phosphorus chicken surimi gels with konjac gumcarrageenan mixtures were characterized by means of texture profile analysis, rheological test, low-field nuclear magnetic resonance, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM). It was found that compared with the use of konjac gum or carrageenan alone, their combination was more effective in replacing STPP in chicken surimi completely. The combination of 0.4% konjac gum and 0.1% carrageenan significantly improved the gel properties of phosphate-free chicken surimi, resulting in texture, water-holding capacity, and water mobility similar to those of the 0.5% STPP group. Molecular structure analysis showed that the gum mixture improved the gel properties of phosphate-free chicken surimi by enhancing the hydrophobic interaction. CLSM results confirmed that the gums filled the gaps between myofibrils, forming a more ordered and continuous protein-polysaccharide network structure. In conclusion, konjac gum-carrageenan mixtures regulate protein structure and protein-polysaccharide interactions, thereby optimizing the microstructure and improving the quality of phosphorus-free chicken surimi gels.
2026, Vol. 40 
