Effect of egg yolk on the textural, rheology and structural properties of egg gels

Egg gel is the combined gelation of egg white (EW) and egg yolk (EY); its properties depend on the fixed ratio of EW and EY in shell egg. This study investigated the gelation properties of egg mixtures in artificial blends to explore innovative egg solutions catering to the market demands and provide guidance for the production of creative egg products. Results showed that solubility of samples decreased with the increase of EY proportion while solid content increased. More surface hydrophobicity and total SH group increases were observed with higher EY proportion. Rheological tests suggested that adding EY decreased samples' initial G' values. Egg gel containing 20% EY presented the largest hardness value, which seems to be related to the fine gel network microstructure. Besides, the springiness and water-holding capacity of gels gradually increased with EY addition, which may be the result of dense microstructure and high solid content of EY.