Alginate-crosslinked emulsion-filled gels with different hydrocolloids as animal fat replacers in low-quality beef...

Four hydrocolloids (agar, konjac, locust bean gum (LBG), hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) representing diverse molecular structures and rheological behaviors were selected based on the temperature-dependent rheological properties of various hydrocolloids and used to prepare alginate-crosslinked emulsion-filled gels, which were subsequently evaluated as animal fat replacers in low-quality beef cuts. All emulsion samples exhibited shear-thinning behavior, with those containing konjac and LBG showing higher viscosity and viscoelasticity. Microstructural analysis revealed that high-viscosity emulsions with konjac and LBG formed smaller droplets compared to agar and HPMC samples. The hardness of the emulsion-filled gels after cooking was closely correlated to their cooking loss. When injected into low-quality beef cuts, the emulsion-filled gels produced a visual appearance comparable to that of beef tallow-injected samples and reduced the peak shear force of the beef samples. Among the emulsion-filled gels, konjac-containing samples exhibited the lowest shear force, whereas HPMC-containing samples showed the highest values. The cooking loss of beef tallow was similar to emulsion-filled gels with HPMC, while the lowest cooking loss was observed in the konjac samples. Furthermore, the replacement of beef tallow with emulsion-filled gels reduced the saturated fatty acid content of beef, thereby contributing to improved nutritional quality.