Emulsion gel stabilized by tilapia myofibrillar protein: Application in lipid-enhanced surimi preparation

In this study, surimi products rich in lipids were prepared by using myofibril protein (MP) emulsion gel as carriers. The MP emulsion gel (MP concentration, c = 1.5%, oil fraction, ø = 0.68) was prepared by one-step homogenization. The emulsion gel maintained a high elastic modulus (G') after heating and freezing treatment. Confocal laser scanning microscopy revealed that the structure of the emulsion gel was a hybrid network consisting of polymers of cross-linked MP and aggregated protein-stabilized emulsion (W/O/W multiple structures) droplets. The double emulsification of the emulsion gel and MP stabilized the oil droplets in the surimi product, preventing water and oil from leaching out. The microstructure also showed smaller gaps between MPs with increased porosity, while oil droplets were stably embedded in the surimi gel matrix. Moreover, adding MP emulsion gel significantly reduced the surimi gel strength compared to adding oil directly (p < 0.05).