Replacing starch in beef emulsion models with β-glucan, microcrystalline cellulose, or a combination of β-glucan and microcrystalline cellulose

Barley sourced beta-glucan (βG), microcrystalline cellulose (MCC), or starch were added to beef emulsions containing beef, olive oil, salts, and water. Emulsions with inclusion levels of 1% of βG, MCC, or starch, 2% of βG, MCC, or starch, or 3% of βG, MCC, or starch, and a mixture of βG (1.5%) and MCC (1.5%) were evaluated for proximate composition, cooking loss, instrumental color, and texture profile analyses (TPA) in three independent replications. As expected, proximate composition differed based mainly on the hydrocolloid used and formulation. Cooking loss was not different among treatments. However, TPA differed with βG samples having lower (P .05) values for hardness, adhesiveness, cohesiveness, gumminess, and chewiness compared with MCC and starch samples, while samples prepared with MCC and starch presented similar TPA. Emulsions prepared with βG had greater (P .05) b* values before cooking when compared with emulsions prepared with MCC and starch, but these differences were not observed in cooked emulsions.