The Application of Sodium Carboxymethyl Cellulose - Meat Products

In the ham processing stage, CMC reduces water loss during the cooking process, increases the yield rate, and makes the meat more tender and smooth; its hydrophilic property also helps form a gel network, retaining moisture and preventing protein contraction.

In emulsified ground meat, CMC stabilizes the distribution of fat, preventing fat from separating during high-temperature processing and avoiding the occurrence of "oil leakage" or layering in the product.

Frozen meat products such as chicken steaks and beef products, when added with CMC, can reduce the loss of juices after thawing, maintain the texture, and CMC can also combine water molecules through hydrogen bonds, thereby reducing the damage to muscle fibers caused by ice crystals during the freezing process.

For low-fat hamburger meat and lean sausages, CMC can be used to partially replace fat, simulating the smooth texture of oil and achieving a balance between taste and health.

During the process of preparing reconstituted steaks, meatballs, and meat fillings, CMC is combined with TG enzyme (glutamine transaminase) to help the minced meat form a cohesive structure and improve the integrity of the slices.

Adding CMC to the sauce enhances the adhesion of the sauce, making the surface of dishes like braised beef and sweet and sour duck shinier and increasing their visual appeal. At the same time, it can to some extent extend the shelf life and reduce the problem of quality deterioration during storage.

CMC also appears in pet food. In dry pet food, it is used to thicken the meat juice and delay the softening of small balls; in semi-wet pet food, it is used to improve the extrusion property and appearance; in canned pet food, it is used to stabilize the fat.

The limitation of CMC lies in the fact that it requires the use of other high-performance polymers when working in extremely high temperatures (>200℃) or in extremely salty environments.