A method for improving the gelation properties and 3D printing performance of reduced-sodium chicken breast paste: The addition of tiger nut protein, transglutaminase, and calcium chloride

This study investigated the effects of tiger nut protein (TNP) (4%), transglutaminase (TG) (0.5%), and calcium chloride (CaCl₂) (1.5%) on the gelling properties and 3D printability of reduced-sodium chicken breast paste, which contained 0.3% sodium chloride (NaCl). Compared with the control group, the addition of TNP-TG-CaCl₂ increased the gel's hardness from 833.5 g to 1544.7 g, improved the water-holding capacity (WHC) by 2.4%, reduced the cooking loss (CL) by 2.3%, and enhanced the printing accuracy by 10.3%. Structural and rheological analysis indicated that the physical filling effect of TNP, the enhancement of protein interactions by TG, which includes increased hydrophobic interactions and disulfide bonds, along with the alteration of protein structure from α-helix to β-sheet, and the aggregation effect of Ca²⁺ during gel formation process, are the key factors that contribute to the formation of a dense network structure during gel formation, and help to improve the gel performance and 3D printing suitability of reduced-sodium chicken mince. Results of correlation analysis between the structure, gel performance and 3D printing performance indicate that the hydrophobic interactions are mostly responsible for the gel performance and 3D printing performance, and there exists a strong correlation between gel hardness, WHC and the 3D printing performance of the meat slurry. Collectively, gels with appropriate hardness and WHC may have the favorable printing adaptability, and the combined use of TNP, TG, and CaCl₂ is an effective way to enhance the 3D printing precision and gel texture of low-sodium meat slurry.