microbial transglutaminase

Microbial transglutaminase (mTG) is an enzyme used as a food additive, often referred to as "meat glue." It functions by forming bonds between proteins, causing them to stick together. This property allows smaller pieces of food, such as meat, poultry, or seafood, to be bound into larger, uniform pieces. The Japanese have historically used transglutaminase to create imitation crab meat, known as surimi. While other amino acids are used as food additives for flavor enhancement and nutritional fortification in animal feed, mTG's primary role is as a binding agent.12