Study of the rheological properties of meat-vegetable minces

Abstract

To adjust the nutritive and biological value of food products, it is advisable to combine meat and vegetable raw materials. The paper presents the results of study of the rheological and microstructural parameters of combined meat-vegetable minces. The mince includes beef trimming, hemp protein and flaxseed flour. The study results showed the minimum values of shear stress and viscosity of the mince system and increased indicators of total and plastic deformation in the samples of minced meat containing linseed flour in an amount of 10–15%. Samples of the meat-vegetable mince that contained 15% of hemp protein and not more than 5% of flax flour exhibited high stability of the meat system. Microstructural studies of combined minced meat revealed the presence of friable vegetable mass, starch grains and fragments of hemp and flax fiber. Samples with a predominance of hemp protein showed a denser and more uniform structure. Thus, the rheological properties of meat-vegetable mince systems depend significantly on the type and amount of vegetable materials introduced.