Application of phosphate in meat products
The function of phosphate in food processing mainly has two points: first, as a quality improver, improve the tissue structure and taste of food; Second, it can be used as a mineral nutritional enhancer. Application in meat and poultry processing:
1.1 In order to improve the quality of meat products, phosphate is usually added to the processing of meat products, and its function is:
a. Improve the adhesion of meat products and improve the slicing performance of meat products;
b. Improve the water-holding capacity of meat, so that meat products can still maintain their natural moisture during processing and cooking, reduce the loss of nutrients in meat, preserve the tenderness of meat products, and improve the yield of meat products;
c. Control the pH value of meat products in the range suitable for protein swelling and make meat products produce beautiful color;
d. Improve emulsification performance and emulsification stability, effectively prevent fat and water separation;
e. Blocking metal cations, delaying the oxidation reaction in the processing of meat products, effectively reducing the rancidity rate of products, inhibiting the decolorization and rancidity of meat products, and prolonging the shelf life of meat products;
f. Improve the processing performance of meat products and increase production efficiency.
1.2 The water holding capacity of meat generally refers to the ability to retain the moisture of meat and the water added to the meat during processing, and the level of water holding capacity is directly related to the texture and yield of meat products, and the addition of phosphate can effectively improve the water holding capacity of meat products. How to use phosphate and other additives reasonably without affecting the flavor of meat products
High water holding capacity and adhesion of meat products and reducing the cooking loss of meat products have always been important topics in the research and development of meat products.
1.3 Reasonable use of phosphate in meat processing:
In practical applications, appropriate phosphate types and dosages should be selected according to the type, texture requirements, production process, raw materials, etc. of meat products combined with the characteristics of various phosphates. Meat products with pyrophosphate added can restore and enhance the natural water retention ability of muscle protein, and polyphosphate can be quickly converted into pyrophosphate under the action of muscle enzymes, so the same effect can be achieved. Although pyrophosphate has a good water retention effect, its solubility is too poor, so it can never be used alone in most cases, but is often used in combination with long-chain polyphosphate or potassium phosphate with good solubility. In addition, in order to play the synergies between various phosphates and phosphates and other additives, various compound meat improvers are often used.
a. For sausages and minced meat products, pyrophosphate and polyphosphate with medium chain lengths are usually used, added in dry powder form during chopping. The pH of the complex phosphate used is generally around 7, and sometimes complex phosphates with a pH higher than 9 are also used.
b. Complex phosphates for injection saline must meet the following requirements
1) Good solubility in ice brine;
2) High dissolution rate;
3) Good stability in ice salt water. The pH value of the complex phosphate used is generally 8.5--9.5.
In order to achieve muscle protein activation in the preparation of ice saline for injection, it is best to dissolve phosphate in ice water before adding salt, and this order generally cannot be reversed. The amount of mixed phosphate added is generally 0.1-0.4%, but the amount should be strictly controlled when used. If the amount is added too high, it will damage the original flavor of the meat and affect the color due to the increase in PH value.
