Cysteine, sodium metabisulfite, and glutathione enhance crosslinking between proteins during high moisture meat analog extrusion processing and may improve the fibrousness of the products

High moisture meat analog (HMMA) products processed using extrusion have become increasingly popular in the last few years. Because the formation of disulfide bonds is believed to play a critical role in the texturization mechanism, this study aimed to understand how chemical compounds capable of reducing disulfide bonds, specifically cysteine, sodium metabisulfite, and glutathione, affect the texture and the chemical interactions between the proteins.