Meat + Poultry - February 2006 - 41

Dairy

Comparing meat products with whey protein concentrate
to low-fat and full-fat counterparts
Taste, texture &
appearance versus
low-fat counterpart

Taste, texture &
appearance versus
full-fat counterpart

Hamburger
60% whey protein concentrate

Superior

Equal

Smoked Sausages
80% whey protein concentrat

Insufficient Data

Equal

Hot Dogs
80% whey protein concentrate

Superior

Not Equal

Sausage Patties
80% whey protein concentrate

Superior

Equal

Product with whey
protein concentrate

Source: The Ohio State Univ. Department of Food Science and Technology

standard conditions. For every 10
percent of fat removed, 3.3 percent to
10 percent water can be added with
whey protein concentrate equal to 10
percent of the water weight.
A variety of whey protein powders,
customized to deliver specific functional properties, are commercially
available. To incorporate whey protein
concentrate into processed meat, it can
be dissolved in water and added to
meat during grounding or incorporated
dry alongside water and ice. Currently,
U.S. Dept. of Agriculture's processed
meat regulations limit nonmeat protein ingredients to 3.5 percent of the
finished product basis if the ingredient is less than 90 percent protein, dry
weight. If the ingredient is more than
90 percent protein, nonmeat proteins
are limited to 2 percent on a finished
product basis.
Whey to go
Another innovation in whey is textured whey protein. As the result of
research by Dr. Marie Walsh, assistant
professor of food science in the nutrition and food sciences department
at Utah State Univ., Logan, textured
whey protein can be made by putting
44

MEAT&POULTRY

February 2006

a mixture of 80 percent whey protein isolate and 20 percent cornstarch
through a thermoplastic extruder at
temperatures low enough to avoid denaturing the whey proteins. After drying, the extruded material resembles
small meat chunks.
In sensory testing, consumers
found burgers made with up to 40
percent textured whey protein no different in taste or texture than burgers
made from 100 percent meat. Furthermore, the whey-enhanced patties
shrank less during cooking than 100
percent meat patties. Sensory analysis also indicated consumers preferred the taste and texture of burgers
extended with textured whey protein
over burgers made from soy.
The process for making textured
whey protein is currently under license, and a whey protein-based
meat extender product is in development. When textured whey protein
becomes commercially available, it
will enter a receptive marketplace,
as U.S. sales of non-meat proteins
have shown significant growth. Also,
regulations governing protein sources in federal school lunch programs
were revised in 2000. The current

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standards permit the serving of alternative protein products made from
whey protein concentrate and whey
protein isolate as well as vegetable
protein products.
New uses
Even processed meat's long-standing relationship with dried milk has
changed to deliver new benefits. Research led by Dr. Daren Cornforth,
professor of nutrition and food sciences at Utah State Univ., investigated the effect of adding nonfat dry
milk to deli cooked turkey breasts,
cooked poultry rolls and bologna.
The impact was positive from both a
sensory and functional aspect. Incorporating nonfat dry milk at the 2 percent level was found to significantly
increase the overall acceptability of
cooked deli breast meat by enhancing its flavor. Adding nonfat dry milk
also increased water-binding properties for additional moistness (and
reduced purge in canned meats),
improved cooking yield and heightened firmness for better sliceability.
Nonfat dry milk can be used at the 3
percent to 5 percent level in bologna,
liver sausage, cotto salami and meat-

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Meat + Poultry - February 2006

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