Characteristics of pressurised pork meat batters as affected by addition of plasma proteins, apple fibre and potato starch

Pork meat (low-fat) batters were prepared without and with the addition of three non-meat ingredients: (blood) plasma proteins, (dietary) apple fibre and potato starch. The batters were processed by cooking-alone (70 °C) and by high-pressure/temperature combination (400 MPa/70 °C). Protein denaturation and starch gelatinisation through the different processings were followed by differential scanning calorimetry. Batter characteristics such as water holding (weight loss) and different texture parameters (texture profile analysis) were used as quality criteria for comparisons among different formulations and processes. Plasma proteins and apple fibre behaved as inert fillers in both kinds of processed batters. Potato starch effects depended on processing conditions to the extent that these influenced the degree of gelatinisation. In pressurised batters (pressure and heating in sequence), regular preservation effects against subsequent thermal denaturation of proteins were observed. Differential scanning calorimetry revealed that starch was also pressure-preserved from subsequent thermal gelatinisation, which was confirmed by scanning electron microscopy. The presence of native-like proteins and ungelatinised starch produced cumulative softening effects in pressurised batters.