Functions of Sodium Alginate in Meats

Sodium Alginate, also known as Brown Algae Sodium Alginate or Brown Algae Gel, is a natural hydrophilic colloid derived from brown seaweeds like kelp and bladderwrack. It has many desirable characteristics in terms of thickening, gelling, water retention, stability, and ability to form continuous films. It can also precipitate with calcium ions and blend with water-soluble polymers such as gelatin, pectin, gellan gum, and carrageenan. Indeed, it is successfully applied in meat products to enhance quality and give a better texture to the product in the process of meat making.

1. Sodium Alginate as a Binder

Recombinant meat is made mechanically and through the addition of adjuncts to solubilize muscle fibers and use the binding agents to change the architecture of the meat. This allows a rational distribution and conversion of muscular tissue, adipose tissue, and connective tissue, and hence a readjustment of meat particles and chunks. After freezing, the product can be sold in that state or reheated to maintain and even improve its structure. So, there must be a gel network to keep the meat structures connected. It is found that sodium alginate can interact with many divalent cations except magnesium to create cross-linking effects. When the content of polyvalent ions rises, the sodium alginate solution thickens to a gel form of matter.

Sodium alginate is most often used together with divalent ions, primarily calcium, to modify the fluidity of sodium alginate solutions, as well as the gelation properties. Thus, sodium alginate and calcium ions gel is developed and widely used in applications that need a binder.

Several researchers have focused on maximizing the incorporation of calcium alginate in recombinant beef and have established that based on the formulation of the recombinant beef and the amounts of added ingredients, the optimal calcium alginate content in the recombinant beef is 0.4 percent with 0.075 percent of calcium carbonate and 0.6 percent lactic acid. This proper ratio enhances the overall binding characteristics which leads to a much-improved texture of the meat, which is very vital for many processed meat products.

Another study focused on the effects of calcium lactate inclusion in the preparation of recombinant pork rolls. It was found that 0.7% sodium alginate, 0.125% calcium carbonate, and 0.3% calcium lactate led to better physical characteristics such as hardness and viscosity, better sensory acceptance, and longer shelf life. This combination also minimized syneresis, thereby improving the stability of the final product when stored for some time.

2. Sodium Alginate as a Water Retaining Agent

The water-holding capacity of meat is an important parameter that has a close relation to the quality of the meat products. This changes not only the color, flavor, taste nutritional value, freshness, tenderness, and other qualitative attributes of the meat but also the economic value of the product. The ability of the structural proteins to absorb water governs the impact of the texture, tenderness, sliceability, elasticity, mouthfeel, and yield of the meat products contributing to the economic returns of the meat processing enterprises. It was observed that moisture loss in muscle tissue can reach 3 to 6 % because of pre-slaughter management, slaughtering, chilling and freezing, and different treatments that are applied during the processing of meat.

It has been proved that the addition of other colloids or phosphate can greatly enhance the quality of recombinant beef rolls, for instance, sodium alginate. With sodium alginate combined with gellan gum, there was an increase in yield after steaming when compared with those without the two agents. There is an improvement in heat distribution along the surface, thereby enhancing moisture retention during the end product.

Sodium alginate has also been examined for use as an edible covering for enhancing the quality of frozen meat. It was revealed that the addition of sodium alginate could upset thaw loss retain the functional characteristics of frozen meat and alter the solubility of total proteins. Thus, it seems sodium alginate is a viable solution for meat processors who want to minimize product shrinkage during freezing and thawing.

The sensitivity of sulfhydryl groups to reaction is affected by both sodium alginate and calcium chloride concentration, where calcium chloride reduces both shear force and pH. This interaction has a useful effect in enhancing the tasting texture and ‘chewiness’ or ‘gumminess’ of the created product.

Investigations on the probability of different mesh sizes of sodium alginate on water retention and texture of the meat products revealed that sodium alginate affects water. So, they retain, and gel strength in the same manner under the same process conditions. The study of the iso-proportional blends of the composite showed that 0.2% 170 mesh sodium alginate and 0.3% carrageenan, had the enhanced quality and textural properties of the fortified meat products with the best water-holding capacities. The smaller size of the particles with 170 mesh makes the product mix well within the meat matrix, hence, increasing its uniformity in terms of moisture distribution.

3. Role in Improving Texture and Tenderness

Although the type of nutrients in meat and its appearance could be critical in consumer appeal, the degree of tenderness and softness of the muscle tissue mass are the most important determinants in the meat processing sector. It has been ascertained in studies that sodium alginate imparts the mechanical property of improved texture to processed meats while at the same time increasing the tenderness of such products. When added together with calcium salts, it is capable of forming a strong gel network which enhances the texture and mouth feel of the meat particles in the product. In the same way, this property is crucial during the production of sausages due to the importance of achieving a certain level of cohesiveness.

Research has also shown that the incorporation of sodium alginate into meat formulations decreases the cooking loss, indicating that the meat retains most of its natural juices. This leads to higher quality products with better taste and improved texture and appearance since products do not shrink during cooking.

4. Sodium Alginate as a Fat Replacer

Several approaches have been proposed to replace fat in the preparation of low-fat meat products, among which sodium alginate and gellan gum have been shown to have the potential as fat replacers. Fat is essential in the flavor, succulence, and texture of meat; however, with the awareness of the fat risk on people’s health, low-fat products with excellent quality are a goal of many producers.

Sodium alginate is useful in that it forms a gel structure that possesses all the characteristics of the mouthfeel of fat. When used in conjunction with other colloids, such as gellan gum, it improves the moisture retention and texture of low-fat meats and therefore is more appealing to the health-conscious market.

5. Enhancing Shelf Life and Stability

It has been one of the most significant issues when it comes to meat processing, specifically on how to maintain the product, so it doesn’t spoil during storage or movement from one place to the other. Incorporation of sodium alginate in the form of a coating or as a component of the meat system helps to inhibit oxidation and microbial spoilage. It makes products to last longer due to conservation of sensory characteristics which include colour, taste and texture.

Sodium alginate in frozen meat products provides assistance in reducing the thaw loss and inhibits the formation of off-flavors likely to arise from storage. However, its film forming capacity makes it a valuable component for vacuum and modified atmosphere packaging, thus increasing product shelf life.

Conclusion

These different works on sodium alginate uses in meat processing really define the importance of this substance as a binder, water retaining agent, and fat replacer in meat products. Sodium alginate in food also enhances the product texture, yield and shelf life, when included in recombinant meat, frozen meat coatings and low fat emulsion. In light of the increasing consumption of quality meat products, sodium alginate E401 is among the most efficient food additive. Manufacturers of processors who want to enhance the quality and the features adding value in their products should prepare and use powdered sodium alginate or sodium alginate liquid.

The application of white sodium alginate in meat applications helps bring higher yield, increased meat juiciness, and improvement of the sensory properties of meat products. Also, due to consumer concern and adoption of healthier and low fat products, fat replacers such as sodium alginate and gellan gum gains a vital position.

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