Gelation inhibiting additives and freezing impact rheological, thermal, and microstructural properties of yolk

We investigated the effect of salt, sugar, and hydrolyzed egg yolk protein (HEY) on yolk's rheological properties, thermal behavior, microstructure for a better understanding their gelation inhibition mechanism. Salted samples had highest yield stress, followed by HEY sugared samples. With addition denaturation temperature amount free water significantly increased. Conversely, sugar no significant impact behavior components. Different additives caused pronounced differences in microstructure. The salt resulted dissociation proteins concomitant increase number small particles. Sugar presumably interacted with rearranged them into stable clusters. Freezing time also impacted rheological, thermal, microstructural properties presence additives. prolonged freezing time, tendency to undergo salted sample increased non-freezable water, while changes were observed size clustering particles varied during freezing. Interestingly, frozen-thawed yolks regained fluidity refrigeration. Overall, effectively inhibited gelation, albeit, through different mechanistic processes.