Dual strengthen of texture and salty perception for reconstructed duck ham via myofibrillar protein-gum Arabic complex

Reducing salt in reconstructed duck ham while maintaining its texture is still challenging. This study developed a novel salt-reducing strategy using lyophilized emulsion complexes of myofibrillar protein (MP) and gum Arabic (GA) (4:0, 3:1, 2:2, 1:3 and 0:4) with TGase as control. Spectroscopic analysis revealed that MP-GA complexation enhanced the protein unfolding, particularly the balanced protein/polysaccharide ratio at 3:1 (M₃G₁). M₃G₁ incorporation favored the MP association and meat integration macroscopically, increasing water holding capacity by 8.02 % and gel strength by 143.3 % <i>versus</i> control. Sensory and electronic tongue analysis confirmed M₃G₁ maximized saltiness perception score (8.2) than other treated groups (7.4-7.8) and the control (5.4) through heterogeneous sodium distribution. Sodium release kinetics and porcine tongue perception further reflected that M₃G₁ rendered prolong Na⁺ releasing out for saltiness enhancement. Therefore, MP-GA complexes with manipulated ratio (especially M₃G₁) can simultaneously enhance texture and saltiness perception, offering a promising alternative for low-sodium duck ham.