Effect of xylose on rheological, printing, color, texture, and microstructure characteristics of 3D-printable colorant-containing meat analogs based on mung bean protein.

A similar color change to meat would promote the appetite of consumers for meat analogs. In this study, three-dimensional (3D) printable colorant-containing meat analogs were developed to mimic the red and brown color of meat before and after cooking. These color changes were realized based on the thermal lability of beet red and the Maillard reaction. Moreover, we studied the influence of the addition of xylose on the shear modulus, printing performance, color, texture, chemical structure, and microstructure of colorant-containing meat analogs. Upon increasing the amount of xylose added, the raw colorant-containing meat analogs showed an increase in shear modulus, dimensional stability, and hardness; whereas, cooked colorant-containing meat analogs showed an increase in hardness, and a decrease in lightness, yellowness, hue angle, and chroma. Moreover, adding xylose changed the interactions and microstructure of colorant-containing meat analogs, leading to texture changes. This study would provide guidelines for the color and texture change by adding reducing saccharides to protein-rich gels.