Research Progress on Protein Additives for Enhancing Gel Properties of Meat Products

Gelation, an important quality attribute of meat products, significantly influences the appearance, flavor, and texture of meat products. Enhancing gelation in meat products holds immense importance in improving the production process and the quality. The gel properties of meat products are influenced by the content and structure of protein aggregates and the aggregation rate during processing. Protein additives have the potential to partially replace myofibrillar proteins in gelation and emulsification properties, leading to cost reduction, and therefore have attracted much research interest for the development of new meat products and the optimization of the processing technology. This paper summarizes recent studies on the gelation mechanism of myofibrillar proteins, and reviews the properties and applications of the major protein additives as well as recent progress in using protein additives combined with polysaccharide colloids, enzymes or phosphates to enhance the gelation of meat products. This review may serve as a valuable reference for enhancing the quality of gel-type meat products.