For the purpose of this master's thesis, we made meat emulsions with the addition of xanthan, to reduce the formation of heterocyclic amines (HCA) during thermal treatment. We prepared two different formulations (A and B), differing in fat and water contents, in which the effect of different amounts of xanthan (0, 2.5 in 5 g) on HCA formation was tested. This way, we formed six experimental groups. The experiment was conducted three times for each group. Meat emulsions underwent thermal treatment in an oven at 150 °C for 1 hour and the final product (meat-cheese) was later reheated on a double-plate grill at 250 °C (4 min). The effect of the added xanthan on the mass loss and specific volume of meat-cheese was verified. We determined the colour of the cross-section prior to and after the additional thermal treatment and measured pH values of meat-cheeses. Instrumental measurements of textural characteristics were conducted, emulsion stability was verified and HCA content of the meat-cheeses was determined. The results showed a statistically significant effect of the experimental group on the reduction of mass loss during thermal treatment and on the increase of specific volume of meat-cheeses. The addition of xanthan also had a significant effect on the change in colour parameters (L*, a* and b*), on all texture parameters and on the stability of the emulsion. However, we did not observe any significant differences in pH values. Results of HCA content were generally very heterogeneous. Xanthan had a significant effect on the reduction of norharman and PhIP content, but only when additional thermal treatment (250 °C, 4 min) was applied. Based on the acquired results, we conclude that the addition of xanthan has a potential to reduce the formation of HCA in meat-cheeses.
|
