A novel solid fat mimetic developed using egg white protein and curdlan: Rheology behavior, emulsion and gel...

This study aimed to develop a fat alternative that closely mimics the appearance and mouthfeel of pork backfat (PBF), targeting reduced health risks from excessive animal fat consumption. The effects of varying mass ratios on the properties of emulsions and emulsion gels were studied using egg white protein (EWP) and curdlan (CL) as primary raw materials. The results indicated that the ratio of 8:2, emulsifying stability reached its maximum value, whereas droplet size, surface hydrophobicity, and fluorescence intensity were at their minimum. Furthermore, there were no significant differences in hardness, chewiness, color, or sensory evaluation results between the 6:4 ratio emulsion gel and PBF (p > 0.05). Additionally, the 6:4 ratio resulted in the highest final storage modulus and loss modulus. Therefore, the emulsion gel prepared at a 6:4 CL/EWP ratio serves as an excellent fat mimetic, offering a promising alternative for low-fat meat product development.