496 Chapter 18
protein, and fi ve parts of water may be pre-
pared and blended with the meat emulsion at
the 10% to 25% level.
Temperature control during meat pro-
cessing is important to the stability of meat
emulsion. Normally, it should not exceed
18 ° C (64.4 ° F). Because milk proteins have
a wider temperature tolerance, milk pro-
teins added to meat permit a wider range of
temperature.
Poultry rolls and bolognas as well as
chicken nuggets and patties acquire a fi rmer
texture and have improved sliceability and
juiciness when sodium caseinate is used as
an ingredient. A pre - emulsion consisting of
one part of sodium caseinate, fi ve parts of
chicken skin, fi ve parts of chicken fat, six
parts of water, and two parts of ice is pre-
pared and is subsequently incorporated in the
product at the 10% level.
Turkey breast production includes sodium
caseinate and milk protein concentrates to
increase yield from 3% to 6%. Usage levels
of milk protein range from 0.8% to 1.5%.
Seafood processing, especially that of
tuna, can benefi t in terms of juiciness and a
6% to 8% increase in drain weight from the
use of milk protein hydrolyzate. A suggested
formula for water - packed tuna employs 75%
steam - cooked tuna and 25% brine. The brine
contains 86% water, 4% salt, and 10% milk
protein hydrolyzate (Van den Hoven and Van
Valkengoed, 1992 ). Whey protein concen-
trates and starch added at the chopping stage
improve the water - binding capacity and juic-
iness of fi sh sticks, fi sh nuggets, and fi sh
pastes (de Wit, 2003 ).Functional Foods
Functional foods may be defi ned as foods
containing signifi cant levels of biologically
active components which impart health ben-
efi ts beyond basic nutrition. They are also
referred to as wellness foods, healthful foods,
or nutraceuticals. It is now scientifi cally
accepted that foods play a role in the preven-meat loaf, and at the 9% to 12% level in
corned beef loaf and roast beef loaf. Evapo-
rated milk can be blended in sweet and
sour meatballs at the 18% to 19% level. In
smoked sausage, use of 2.5% NFDM and
1.25% whey protein concentrate (80% pro-
tein) increases the water - holding capacity and
yield and provides better emulsifi cation and
enhanced adherence attributes (DMI, 2003 ).
Whey products contain high - quality
protein and calcium. Their use may improve
the nutritional status of meat products such
as bologna, reduced - fat sausage, and roast
beef (DMI, 1996 ). Whey protein concen-
trates optimized for emulsifi cation can facili-
tate fat distribution in processed meat
products and their use improves salt toler-
ance. Furthermore, whey protein acts as a
stabilizer of the emulsion. In lunch meat and
sausage, whey ingredients function as adhe-
sion agents in binding meat pieces after
chopping and blending with other ingredi-
ents. Gelation of whey protein, induced by
further heating and salt treatment, entraps
more water in the matrix and creates a strong
gel net - work. Accordingly, moisture is held
tightly and syneresis is prevented, and the
yield of meat products is increased. The
water - binding functionality of denatured
whey protein improves the texture of meat
products in that they are perceived to be more
moist and fresh. Surimi, pressed ham, and
bacon are application areas of the whey
protein ingredients.
Processing Considerations
Milk proteins for use in meat processing
must be in a hydrated state to achieve the best
functionality. Accordingly, the powder should
be blended with chopped meat prior to addi-
tion of ice or water. Another procedure
involves slurry preparation of one part of
milk protein to six parts of water in a chopper
and incorporation of the slurry during the
communition process. Alternatively, a dis-
persion of fi ve parts of fat, one part of milk