Restructured Pork from Hot Processed Sow Meat: Effect of Encapsulated Food Acids.

Encapsulated food acids were used in the manufacture of cured, restructured pork from pre-rigor sow meat. The four treatments were: (a) control, (b) sodium acid pyrophosphate (SAP), (c) sodium acid pyrophosphate plus encapsulated lactic acid (LA), and (d) sodium acid pyrophosphate plus encapsulated glucono-delta-lactone (GDL). Sodium acid pyrophosphate was included in three of the treatments in this study because of its ability to catalyze the curing reaction. Products were manufactured from timmings ground through a 3.2-mm plate on a plate grinder and tenderized muscle chunks ground through a 10-mm plate which were blended together in a ratio of 50:50. No significant differences existed among treatments for percent fat (P>0.05). According to sensory panels, the SAP and GDL treatments were rated as having a more intense flavor than the control treatment (P<0.05). Objective analysis revealed no difference in shear value, tensile strength, water-holding capacity, cooked yield or chilled yield. Significantly more of the total meat pigment was converted to nitroso-hematin in the GDL treatment as compared to the control treatment (P<0.05).

Comparison of Three Methods for Estimating Surface Bacteria on Pork Carcasses.

Surface bacteria on skinned and scalded pork carcasses were evaluated using three different techniques: moist-swab contact (swab method), direct agar contact (Rodac method) and mylar adhesive tape (mylar method). The objective of this study was to investigate the feasibility of using one of the less expensive and quicker techniques as a tool for estimating microbial loads. Thirty-six pork carcasses were evaluated for surface contamination at four locations: ham, loin, shoulder and inside the thoracic cavity. Statistical analysis utilized the log10 of the number of observations per cm2. For all four locations evaluated, there was a difference (P<0.05) between the swab and Rodac method. A significant difference was also observed between the swab and mylar methods; however, there was no significant difference between the Rodac and the mylar methods. The correlation coefficients between methods were: swab vs. Rodac (0.43), swab vs. mylar (0.46), and Rodac vs. mylar (0.62). These data suggest that the use of mylar adhesive tape is a good alternative method for estimating surface bacterial loads.

Restructured Pork from Hot-Processed Sow Meat: Effect of Particle Size and Blend Ratio 1.

A 2 × 3 factorial arrangement of treatments was used to investigate the effect of grind size and blend ratio on quality and sensory traits of restructured pork manufactured from hot-processed sow meat. Two blend ratios: [1. 50% through a 3.2 mm plate (FG)/50% tenderized muscle chunks (TMC); 2. 40% FG/60% TMC] were used in combination with three different sizes of TMC. The TMC portion was prepared by: grinding once through a kidney plate (K), grinding twice through a kidney plate (KK), or grinding once through a kidney plate followed by grinding through a 10 mm plate (K10). The six treatments were: 50FG/50K, 50FG/50KK, 50FG/50K10, 40FG/60K, 40FG/60KK, and 40FG/60K10. There were no differences (P>.05) for cooking loss, juiciness, connective tissue, or flavor scores; however, restructured steaks from the 40FG/60K treatment were more cohesive (P<.05) than the steaks from the 50FG/50KK, 50FG/50K10, and 40FG/60K10 treatments. Restructured steaks from the 40FG/60K treatment had greater shear values (P<.05) than steaks from the 50FG/50KK treatment which had greater shear values (P<.05) than steaks from the 50FG/50K10 and 40FG/60K10 treatment. Restructured steaks from the 50FG/50K10 treatment had greater tensile strength (P<.05) than those from the 50FG/50KK treatments. It was determined that a 50% chunks/50% fine ground blend ratio in combination with any of the three grind sizes would be best suited for use in commercial processing operations. This ratio is the more practical ratio to obtain from the sow carcass, and no added product quality is achieved by the use of a 60% chunks/40% fine ground ratio.

Restructured Pork From Hot Processed Sow Meat: Effect of Mechanical Tenderization and Liquid Smoke.

A 2 × 2 factorial design was used to study the effect of tenderization and liquid smoke on sensory and physical attribution of a fully cooked restructured pork item. The lean and fat mass was removed intact within 30 min postmortem from sow carcasses and assigned to a tenderized or non-tenderized treatment with and without liquid smoke. The four treatment groups were: non-tenderized, no liquid smoke (NTNS); non-tenderized with liquid smoke (NTS); tenderized, no liquid smoke (TNS); and tenderized with liquid smoke (TS). Mechanical tenderization was accomplished 1 h postmortem and the two original portions were subdivided for a 1% acid-neutralized liquid smoke treatment. Total processing time from exsanguination to a fully cooked product was 8 h. There were no differences (P>0.05) among any of the treatments for cohesiveness, juiciness, flavor or connective tissue scores or cooking loss. The TNS treatment had higher (P<0.06) tension values as determined by Instron measurements than the NTNS treatment. There were initially no practical differences between TBA values for fresh-frozen and cooked-frozen restructured pork. However, after 30 d of storage (-23°C), the cooked-frozen product had significantly higher TBA values than fresh-frozen product.

Effects of Electrical Stimulation and Kidney-Pelvic Fat Removal Before Chilling on Microbial Quality of Beef Tenderloins 1.

Twenty-four steers (435-567 kg) were used to study the effects of electrical stimulation (50 V for 120 s) and of kidney-pelvic fat removal before chilling (3-4°C) on microbial populations of beef tenderloins on days 1, 4 and 7 post-mortem. Kidney-pelvic fat was stripped from one side of each carcass; the other side remained intact for later fat removal. On each respective chill-day, kidney-pelvic fat was aseptically removed from intact sides, tenderloins were swabbed at two anatomically referenced locations (3rd and 5th lumbar vertebra) and microbial load was determined. The statistical model for data analysis included the effects of electrical stimulation, chill-day, animal within chill-day X stimulation, fat removal, location, and all main effect interactions. Removal of kidney-pelvic fat before chilling resulted in a significantly higher bacterial load on the surface of exposed tenderloins after 24 h of chill. Electrical stimulation produced significantly lower bacterial counts for fat-intact surfaces on chill-day 7 and for fat-removed surfaces on chill-day 4. Kidney-pelvic fat removal allowed for significantly higher bacterial counts on the tail portion of tenderloins (3rd lumbar vertebra) for surfaces from non-stimulated carcasses than the butt portion (5th lumbar vertebra). Mean bacterial counts from electrically stimulated carcasses at the fifth and third lumbar vertebra locations did not differ (P>.10) between fat treatments.