Improvement of physical manageability of refrigerated methylcellulose-containing vegetarian meat substitutes

Abstract: The following work investigates the possibility of improving the structure of methylcellulose-containing vegan meat substitutes in terms of susceptibility to physical stress during handling at refrigerator and room temperatures. Attempts to combine the hot-setting gelling agent methylcellulose with another cold-setting hydrocolloid or starch were performed in order to create a structure that is rigid and manageable at refrigerator temperatures as well as when heated for consumption. A total of 23 types of cold-setting hydrocolloids, mixtures thereof and starch alternatives were identified and ordered. Their cold gelling ability was thoroughly examined in a pure water solution followed by a methylcellulose solution. Trials to incorporate the cold-setting gelling agent into a basic vegetarian recipe were performed and finally evaluated using a texture analyzer. The measurements proved the existence of a significant improvement in cold structure for several different combinations of methylcellulose and hydrocolloids or starches with regards to susceptibility to physical stress. The improvement was most notable with the use of kappa-carrageenan, mixtures of kappa-carrageenan and locust bean gum, as well as a modified thin-boiling maize starch.