On the 18th, the reporter learned from the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences that the innovative team of Meat Science and Nutrition Engineering at the Institute of Agricultural Products Processing of the institute has found that plant polysaccharides can act as a new and healthier meat fat substitute, interacting with myofibrillar proteins. This provides new possibilities and ideas for developing healthier and more nutritious meat products. The relevant research results were recently published in the international journal "Food Hydrophilic Colloids". Meat food is an important source of high-quality protein and energy for the human body, but it contains a lot of saturated fat, and excessive intake may induce coronary heart disease, atherosclerosis and other diseases. To this end, researchers are working hard to find a new type of meat fat substitute that can replace the fat in meat, allowing people to enjoy meat cuisine while reducing unhealthy fat intake. Zhang Dequan, the corresponding author of the paper and researcher at the Institute of Agricultural Products Processing, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, introduced that this study investigated the effects of plant polysaccharides from different sources such as inulin, k-carrageenan, and konjac glucomannan as fat substitutes on myofibrillar protein. The results showed that these polysaccharides could enhance the gel strength, water holding capacity, energy storage and loss modulus of myofibrillar protein, and reduce the digestion rate of protein. When polysaccharide is added to myofibrillar protein, the three-dimensional gel network structure of the mixture becomes more compact and fine, and the pores distributed in the entire gel become more uniform. "We found that adding only 1% konjac glucomannan can effectively replace some fat in meat products. This provides scientific basis for using konjac glucomannan as a fat substitute in meat products in the future. This study helps us find a new method for making meat products, making our food healthier and more delicious," said Zhang Dequan. (Le Xin She) (Reporter: Ma Aiping)