Based on a specific combination of hydrocolloids and fibres that act as emulsifying and stabilising components, HydroTop High Gel helps create a “slightly sticky” profile similar to the ground meat used to make meatballs, according to its maker Hydrosol.
Suitable for all standard commercial wheat, soy and pea protein-based texturates, the meat substitute mass can be individually seasoned and produced continuously on a conventional line, it said.
Vegetables can be worked into the mass
Its adhesive quality means vegetables with smooth surfaces like corn or peas can be worked into the mass without problems, the German firm added.
Hydrosol is demonstrating the emulsifier in vegan nuggets, which can be pan or deep-fried, and are free of soy and gluten.
To create the nuggets, first an emulsion is made with HydroTop High Gel 30, oil and water, explained Dr Carsten Carstens, head of product development for meat and sausage products at Hydrosol.
‘Pleasantly firm to the bite’
“This stabilises the hydratised texturate through thermoreversible gelling, making the formable mass, when heated, pleasantly firm to the bite,” he said.
The emulsifier can also be combined with the texturates from Hydrosol’s Stabiprot series to make burgers, patties and vegan schnitzel with breading.
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