Dados do Trabalho

Título

BIOPOLYMER GELS INCORPORATED WITH ELECTROSPUN FIBERS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF A FISH FILLET ANALOG

Introdução

Meat analogs are plant-based products developed for people who like to consume meat, due to its sensory or nutritional aspects, but prefer not to consume it for ethical, environmental, or health issues. It is also a nutritious alternative to help solving the population growth problem, which is expected to achieve 10 billion people by 2050. It is noteworthy that mimicking the texture of animal meat is one of the biggest challenges of food industries, which explains why most of the commercial plant-based products are available as processed meat. The aim of this study was to evaluate, in terms of texture and microstructure, mixed biopolymer gels incorporated with electrospun fibers and their stability after cooking as a first step in the development of a fish fillet analog.

Material e Métodos

Electrospun fibers were produced by mixing 21.5% zein, 1% poly(ethylene oxide) and 2% pea protein at a voltage of 22 kV and a feeding rate of 2000 μL/h. For the gels, biopolymer dispersions were prepared by mixing 15% pea protein, 0.9% low acyl gellan gum, 0.05% high acyl gellan gum, 0.05% pectin and 0.06 M KCl at 80 °C for 30 min. Electrospun fibers were placed in silicone molds which were filled with the dispersions and cooled down at 4°C overnight. Then, all the gels were crosslinked with a 1% CaCl2 solution for 18h.

Resultados e Discussão

All samples presented a self-sustained structure, and the fibers could be observed after slicing. However, the scanning electron microscopy showed that there was no interaction between the structures of the fibers and the biopolymer gel. Fracture stress and fracture strain were enhanced by the use of KCl, whilst the addition of the fibers did not influence these properties. Additionally, the crosslinking step greatly enhanced them, especially for gels without KCl. The tight network formed for KCl gels crosslinked with CaCl2 can be related to their lowest water retention capacity found. Crosslinked gels also maintained their structures after cooking and baking, while the non-reticulated ones melted.

Conclusão

Overall, the results showed a promising alternative for developing a fish fillet analog structure, and crosslinking was an important step toward improving its texture.