Overview of meat binders

Food binders are food additives that are added to the food products in order to improves the texture by binding or thickening or the ingredients together.

Based on the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) definition, binders are used to thicken or to improve texture, consistency and sensory scores of meats. Stabilizers are food additives that contribute an optimal finished meat system and provide value-added qualities to meat system applications.

During manufacturing of sausages, binders are used to improve the bind of meat and fat, improving fat and moisture retention. Binders are often used when hand mixing sausage to improve bind characteristics and to help mitigate off-flavors from some wild game.

It also can improve finished product stability, provide consistent texture and viscosity, and make food products firmer.

From pre-historic times, food binders have been used successfully in traditional food system to increase viscosity, prevent water separation and improve body texture and flavor properties sought after in modern food stabilizers.

Currently, there are many products available in the supermarket, which are made by binding comminuted meat products along with spices, seasonings, and stabilizer in to one cohesive product.

Various binders are available to meat processors. Some binders are proteins, such as soy protein isolate, pea protein, wheat protein, milk casein ate, gelatin, and egg protein.

Proteins derived from a variety of plant and animal resources have potential value as binders in restructured meat products. Some binders are derived from enzymes, such as transglutaminase and beef fibrin.

Milk proteins are also used in meat products throughout the world. Nonfat dry milk, sodium caseinate, and whey protein concentrates are used as emulsifiers and water binders. Sodium caseinates are used for ham production in Mexico, helping to retain moisture.

The binding substance carrageenan can provide significant volume increase as it is highly water absorbent. Its positive role is mainly in the manufacture of coarse products such as burgers or coarse skinless sausage products and in cooked hams.
Overview of meat binders