Effect of meat enhancement solutions with hydroxypropyl methylcellulose and konjac flour on texture and quality attributes of pale, soft, and exudative pork.

The objective of this study was to determine whether addition of hydrocolloids, buffer ingredients, salt, and sodium phosphate improve the color, texture, and pH of normal and pale, soft, and exudative (PSE) meat. Specific solutions include potassium bicarbonate (KHCO), ammonium bicarbonate (NHHCO), hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC), and konjac flour (KF). Three studies were carried out. First, the stability and viscoelastic properties of the different solutions was determined. Second, fresh normal (pH 5.6-5.9) and PSE (pHu < 5.4) Longissimus dorsi muscles were ground and assigned a treatment solution: control (fresh normal), water, NaCl/SP, KHCO, NHHCO, KF, HPMC, KHCO/KF, KHCO/KF/NaCl/SP (sodium phosphate), NHHCO/HPMC, and NHHCO/HPMC/NaCl/SP. Third, treatment solutions with suitable viscoelastic properties and stability, were added, homogenized, stuffed into tubes, and cooked to an internal temperature of 75C to form gels, and torsion and texture profile analysis performed. The PSE treated samples containing bicarbonate/hydrocolloid treatments had similar hardness-first bite, hardness-second bite, and gumminess values to the normal-control samples while the NHHCO treated samples had air pockets in the cooked gel. Third, consumers (n = 92) evaluated control and PSE beef/pork frankfurters produced with the following treatments: KHCO, KHCO/HPMC, and KHCO/KF. Treatment had no effect (p > .05) on overall like/dislike of flavor, but PSE frankfurters were preferred (p < .05) to the controls. The use of KHCO with hydrocolloids, salt and SP improved the color, pH and texture properties of PSE ground pork; further research to examine the effectiveness in whole PSE pork muscle systems is needed.

PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: Meat processors could use KHCO with HPMC or KF as ingredients to improve color, texture, and pH of PSE meat. The reduction of variation between PSE and normal pork muscle would improve pork quality and add value to PSE meat products.