The present study aimed to address the challenges associated with the high fat content and inadequate freeze-thaw stability of conventional pork meatballs.To achieve this, sucrose co-crystallization technology was employed to incorporate functional components, including curcumin (CUR) and soy protein isolate (SPI), in order to formulate sucrose co-crystallized products that exhibited emulsifying, antioxidant, and anti-freezing properties.Additionally, the effects of these sucrose co-crystallized products on the freeze-thaw stability of low-fat pork meatballs were investigated.The results showed that the interaction of SPI with higher mass fraction CUR significantly enhanced the antioxidant activity and thermal stability of sucrose co-crystallised products.IR spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy results confirmed the successful attachment of the two functional components to the porous space of the recrystallised sucrose, and the presence of SPI significantly enhanced the dispersion of curcumin in the co-crystallised system.In addition, after five repeated freezing and thawing, the gel network structure of low-fat pork balls with the addition of functional complex sucrose co-crystallization (encapsulated with mass fraction of 0.8% CUR and 5% SPI complex) was denser and had a lower carbonyl content (1.21 nmol/mg) and lipid peroxide value (0.24 mg/kg), and ultimately exhibited a better colour, water holding capacity, and texture, as compared to both the conventional fat and low-fat controls.properties.In conclusion, the functional complex sucrose eutectic as a fat replacing additive can effectively improve the freeze-thaw quality of low-fat pork balls.
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