Muhedaner Mukadaisi, Song Ziqing, Chen Chengpu, Ibeogu Isaiah Henry, Zhou Guanghong, Ye Keping
State Key Laboratory of Meat Quality Control and Cultured Meat Development, MOST; Key Laboratory of Meat Processing, MARA; Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Meat Production, Processing, and Quality Control; College of Food Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, China.
State Key Laboratory of Meat Quality Control and Cultured Meat Development, MOST; Key Laboratory of Meat Processing, MARA; Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Meat Production, Processing, and Quality Control; College of Food Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, China.
Food Chem. 2025 Feb 28;466:142202. doi: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2024.142202. Epub 2024 Nov 22.
Mycoprotein (MYC) has unique mycelial properties that make it suitable for mimicking meat fibers. However, the irregular structure of mycelium creates challenges in achieving fiber alignment in meat alternatives. This study explored 3D printing technology to align MYC fibers by formulating inks with various proportions of egg white proteins (EWP) (4 %, 5 %, 6 %, 7 %) and assessing their printing performance. Results showed that extrusion-based 3D printing enabled MYC fiber alignment. The addition of EWP resulted in a nonlinear viscoelastic state in the mixed ink, and increased intra-ring strains to restrict the mobility of the moisture, likely due to hydrogen bonding between mycelial and EWP. Post-printing, the MYC-EWP matrix formed a more ordered mycelial structure. After heating, the 6 % EWP formulation exhibited improved water retention, hardness, chewiness, and other textural properties, making it comparable to beef. This study highlights the potential of 3D printing technology to enhance fiber formation in MYC-based meat alternatives.
真菌蛋白(MYC)具有独特的菌丝体特性,使其适合模仿肉类纤维。然而,菌丝体的不规则结构给在肉类替代品中实现纤维排列带来了挑战。本研究探索了3D打印技术,通过配制含有不同比例蛋清蛋白(EWP)(4%、5%、6%、7%)的墨水并评估其打印性能,来使MYC纤维排列。结果表明,基于挤出的3D打印能够实现MYC纤维排列。EWP的添加导致混合墨水中呈现非线性粘弹性状态,并增加了环内应变以限制水分的流动性,这可能是由于菌丝体和EWP之间的氢键作用。打印后,MYC-EWP基质形成了更有序的菌丝体结构。加热后,6%EWP配方表现出改善的保水性、硬度、咀嚼性和其他质地特性,使其与牛肉相当。本研究突出了3D打印技术在增强基于MYC的肉类替代品中纤维形成方面的潜力。