Modified pea protein coupled with transglutaminase reduces phosphate usage in low salt myofibrillar gel

In sodium-reduced meat products, phosphates are also used to enhance product quality. To reduce the use of sodium pyrophosphate (SPP), effects of two pea protein isolates modified by ultrasonication (U-PPI) or pH12–shifting (pH-PPI) on the gelling and rheological properties of myofibrillar protein (MP) gels were investigated. Cross-linking by transglutaminase (TG) significantly increased the G′, hardness, water holding capacity and decreased the cooking loss (P < 0.05). Modified PPIs (especially pH-PPI) showed the availability of crosslinking by TG. However, PPI and TG made composite gels have a lower G′ than MP gels. Additionally, the hardness and water holding capacity of MP + pH-PPI gels (1.45 N; 50.43%) in the presence of 10 mM SPP and TG were comparable to those of MP gels (0.86 N; 50.90%) in the presence of 20 mM SPP. Therefore, the modified PPIs in collaboration with TG can improve the gel properties and reduce SPP addition by 50%.