Gelling Properties of Chestnut Starch-Egg White Protein Mixture

Consumer acceptability of a food is largely dependent on its sensory properties that contribute to its palatability. Gel characteristics are a vital part of sensory properties. They are important for the production of many foods, such as sausages, noodles and formulated healthy foods. This study concluded that the addition of egg white proteins improved the gelling properties of chestnut starch gel. Sensory analysis indicated that the addition of egg white protein powders and oils decreased the adhesiveness of the chestnut starch gel and whitened its color. The inclusion of oil also avoided the formation of air bubbles inside the gel. The analysis by a texture analyzer indicated that the hardness and fracturability of the chestnut starch-egg white protein gel were greatly lower than that of the chestnut starch gel. The springiness, cohesiveness, gumminess, resilience, and chewiness of the chestnut starch-egg white protein gel were positively correlated with the amount of egg white proteins included. The chestnut starch-egg white protein gel containing egg white protein powder with a ratio ≥0.33 may be well applicable for producing a sausage-like product while that with the egg white protein powder ratio <0.33 may be suitable for producing noodles (or vermicelli).