ELSEVIER Mear Science, Vol. 50, No. 3, 343-353, 1998 0 1998 E1sevie.r Science Ltd. All rights -d printed in Great Britain PII: SO309-1740(98)00044-8 0309-1740/98/$19.00+0.00 Amaranthus and Buckwheat Protein Concentrate Effects on an Emulsion-Type Meat Product F. P. Bejosano & H. Corke* Cereal Science Laboratory, Department of Botany, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong (Received 26 April 1997; revised version received 21 March 1998; accepted 25 March 1998) ABSTRACT The utilization of Amaranthus (jive genotypes) and buckwheat protein concentrates in an emulsion-type meat product comprising beef lean, pork fat, salt and water was studied. 15% of the beef protein was replaced with the protein concentrates and the resulting meat em&ions were evaluated by thermorheology and thermal analysts. The cooking loss and physical properties of the meat gel were determined. The use of Amaranthus and buck- wheat protein concentrates considerably affected both the emulsion and the cooked meat gel properties. The most favorable outcome was obtained with the buckwheat protein, which had similar effects to soy proteins. The Amaranthus protein concentrates generally did not give favorable results, although that derived from genotype Kl12 showed some positive effects. Correlation analysis showed that most of the observed variation in meat product properties could be explained by the emulsifying activity of the protein additive used. 0 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved INTRODUCTION The use of plant proteins, particularly soy proteins, as meat extenders is well established and most of the comminuted processed meat products sold commercially contain such ingredients. Soy protein additives come in many forms, e.g. flours, concentrates and iso- lates, and are available in either powdered or textured forms. The two main reasons for using such ingredients are economic (to save on raw material costs) and to improve pro- duct quality. Soy proteins can improve water and fat binding and hence aid in emulsion stabilization in meat products such as bologna and frankfurters (Giese, 1994). Schmidt et al. (1981) noted that comminuted processed meat products require the for- mation of a functional protein matrix within the product to give it its characteristic tex- ture and bite. They described the basic structure of a meat emulsion as a mixture of finely divided meat constituents dispersed as a fat-in-water emulsion, where the discontinuous *To whom correspondence should he addressed. Fax: + 852 2858 3477; e-mail: harold@hku.hk 343