EFFECT OF SETTING CONDITIONS USING MICROBIAL TRANSGLUTAMINASE DURING OBTENTION OF BEEF GELS MARTÍN CASTRO-BRIONES 1 , GEAZUL N. CALDERÓN 2 , GONZALO VELAZQUEZ 2 , M. SALUD-RUBIO 1 , MANUEL VÁZQUEZ 2,3 and JOSÉ A RAMÍREZ 2,4 1 Laboratorio de Ciencia de la Carne Secretaria de Producción Animal Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México Av. Universidad 3000, Del. Coyoacán, Ciudad Universitaria México, DF, Mexico 2 Departamento de Ciencia y Tecnología Alimentaria (1015) Reynosa, Tamaulipas 88700, Mexico 3 Departamento Química Analítica Escuela Politécnica Superior Universidad de Santiago de Compostela-Campus de Lugo Lugo, Spain Accepted for Publication October 9, 2007 ABSTRACT Microbial transglutaminase (MTG) is a food additive widely used to improve the mechanical properties of beef, poultry and fish gels. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of incubation temperature on the mechanical properties of restructured beef gels treated with MTG. The restructured beef gels were obtained by adding 0.0% (untreated) or 0.3% MTG. Three incubation temperatures (40, 50 or 60C) for 30 min were used, followed by cooking at 90C for 15 min. Control samples without incubation were also prepared. Changes in the mechanical properties (texture profile analysis and puncture test), color attributes, expressible water and cooking loss were determined. Results indicated that the maximum mechanical prop- erties can be obtained by incubating beef pastes at 50C for 30 min with minimal effect on color, expressible water and cooking loss when 0.3% of MTG is added. 4 Corresponding author. TEL: +52 899 921 3340 ext. 130; FAX: +52 899 921 3340; EMAIL: ramirez@uat.edu.mx Journal of Food Process Engineering 32 (2009) 221–234. All Rights Reserved. © Copyright the Authors Journal Compilation © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. DOI: 10.1111/j.1745-4530.2007.00212.x 221