Abstract:
This paper aimed to explore the application potential of konjac gum in composite plant protein vegetarian ham sausage. The konjac gum, soy filiform protein, peanut protein concentrate and gluten were used as main raw materials to prepare vegetarian ham. A systematic study was conducted on its properties, including moisture distribution, texture, protein secondary structure, cooking loss rate, sensory quality, color, and microstructure. Additionally, the influence of konjac gum on the dynamic rheological properties and Zeta potential of the composite plant protein gel system was analyzed. The results demonstrated that when the addition level of konjac gum was 1%, the proportion of immobile water in composite plant protein vegetarian ham sausage was higher (reaching 97.54%); the cooking loss rate was 4.3% lower than that of the control group; the hardness increased from 471.698±37.123 g to 694.691±2.276 g, which was more suitable for taste; the protein secondary structure was more ordered, and the content of
β-sheet significantly increased from 39.71%±7.61% to 43.70%±2.86%; the ham had better color brightness and redness; the micro-network structure was more uniform and dense; and the sensory evaluation obtained a higher score (90 points). In addition, at the 1% konjac gum addition level, the konjac gum-composite plant protein gel system had the highest G' value and the lowest G'' value; the absolute value of Zeta potential increased from 8.34±0.60 mV to the maximum value of 13.78±0.31 mV, indicating that the gel system had better stability. In conclusion, an appropriate addition of konjac gum could significantly improve the moisture distribution, texture and sensory quality of composite plant protein vegetarian ham sausage, which is conducive to maintaining good quality stability in the process of processing and storage.