TRANSGLUTAMINASE
- WWHISPER
- Feb 11, 2023
- 2 min read
Transglutaminase, better known as meat glue, is a controversial additive that many people avoid due to health concerns.
Meat glue is a substance used in the manufacture of a variety of foods to bind proteins together, improve texture and appearance. It includes substances such as transglutaminase and fibrinogen/thrombin. Transglutaminase works by binding protein molecules together at their glutamyl and lysyl residues. Fibrinogen is activated by thrombin to form a fibrin network, analogous to the fibrin glue used in surgery.
Meat glue in food is made from blood clotting proteins from animals such as cows and pigs or bacteria from plant extracts. It is usually sold in powder form.
Meat glue is used since many years in an awful lot of products, including all meats, sausages, chicken nuggets, burgers, fast food, fish, surimi and other imitation seafood, ham, cheese, yoghurt and ice cream. It is also commonly used in restaurants, even by top chefs. Consumers do not taste any difference and usually do not even know they are eating transglutaminase and fibrinogen.
The main problem with meat glue is not necessarily the ingredient itself, but the increased risk of bacterial contamination of the food in which it is used.
When several pieces of chicken or beef are glued together to form one piece, the risk of bacteria in the meat increases.
Another concern is the negative impact on the intestines. Transglutaminase can cause intestinal permeability ( or " leaky gut " ), Moreover, this additive can also affect the immune system and cause or worsen coeliaki and gluten intolerance.
Hospital South-East-Limburg ( ZOL ) examines coeliaki on the basis of a transglutaminase test, which is at base a body's own protein but can be excessively present in the body due to the consumption of meat glue.
Processed meat and other industrially processed foods are bad for your health. It is not just about the consumption of the additive transglutaminase but about a long raft of additives considered safe by food safety agencies while increasingly being linked to diseases such as cancer and cardiovascular disease in numerous studies.
The EC code for transglutaminase is :2.3.2.13. It is best to avoid this additive as much as possible.
See also the article and video in these links :
Comments