Effects of emulsifiers on heterocyclic amine formation and water distribution in roasted chicken patties

Certain emulsifiers help retain immobilized water and promote emulsifier-water-protein interaction in minced chicken. These effects contribute to inhibition of HA formation and improvement of adhesiveness of the roasted chicken patties. [Display omitted] •Emulsifiers dose-dependently influence HA formation in roasted chicken patties.•Emulsifiers inhibit HA formation by reducing loss of immobilized water in meat tissue.•DMG and SPP strongly inhibit HA formation and improve adhesiveness of chicken patties.•DATEM, PL and SDS promote HA formation and decrease adhesiveness of chicken patties. The present study aimed to investigate the effects of five emulsifiers, including DATEM, DMG, PL, SDS, and SPP, on HA formation in chemical models and roasted chicken patties. UPLC-MS analysis showed that DMG and SPP were the most promising among them. In particular, at 0.15–0.9% (w/w) in roasted chicken patties, they effectively reduced the contents of PhIP (21–43%), MeIQx (26–50%) and 4,8-DiMeIQx (16–43%) relative to the control, whereas DATEM, PL and SDS promoted their formation. Low-Field Nuclear Magnetic Resonance and Magnetic Resonance Imaging analysis revealed that the inhibitory effect of SPP and DMG was partly mediated through their capability to help retain water in the macromolecular structures of the muscle tissue. This favorable effect was also supported by the significantly improved adhesiveness of the SPP and DMG samples relative to other samples. These findings suggest that SPP and DMG are effective additives for attenuation of HA contents in meat-based products.