Use of native pea starches as an alternative to modified corn starch in low-fat bologna.

In an attempt to explore alternative ingredients that satisfy emerging consumers demand for clean label products, we investigated the impact of pea starches on functional properties, textural and eating quality of low-fat (LF) bologna. LF bologna processed without binder (control) was compared to formulations supplemented with modified corn starch (MCS) or one of two pea starches: air classified pea starch (ACPS) and wet extracted pea starch (WEPS). Although not as effective as corn starch, addition of pea starches reduced cook loss and improved water holding capacity of LF bologna sausage (P < 0.05). Generally, pea starches contributed to higher chewiness and hardness in LF bologna (P < 0.05). However, instrumental colour parameters as well as sensory attributes of LF bologna type sausages were only minimally impacted by the addition of starches. The current study revealed that pea starch addition to LF bologna could be beneficial for meat processors given that its effect on sensory attributes is only marginal when compared to other conventional binders.

The effect of glucosamine and glucosamine caramel on quality and consumer acceptability of regular and reduced salt breakfast sausages.

Given the more recent interest in its flavour enhancing potential, the effects of the addition of glucosamine or glucosamine caramel on both technological and consumer acceptability of regular and reduced salt breakfast sausages were studied. A 2 × 3 complete factorial design was used with salt level (regular salt, RS (1.1%) and low salt, LS (0.825%)) and formulation treatment (control, GlcN - glucosamine (1%), CAR - glucosamine caramel (1% GlcN equivalent)) as main effects. Raw or cooked sausages were analyzed for CIE L*, a* and b*, physical and textural properties and consumer acceptance. Different salt levels did not affect the pH of meat batter, while the reduced salt treatment resulted in higher cook loss. On the contrary, addition of GlcN and CAR reduced the pH of sausage with no effect on cook loss. Neither salt levels nor treatment formulation affected the textural attributes of sausages. The inclusion of CAR significantly reduced L* value and increased redness (a*) and yellowness (b*) of cooked sausages. Salt reduction resulted in decreased a* and b* values in raw batter; the effect which disappeared in cooked sausages. Glucosamine caramel increased the overall and flavour acceptability score of low salt breakfast sausages. The present study showed that glucosamine caramel could potentially improve the flavour of low salt breakfast sausage with limited effect on textural attributes.

Utilization of pea starch and fibre fractions for replacement of wheat crumb in beef burgers.

Beef burgers (22% fat) were formulated to contain 5% of pea starch (PS), pea fibre (PF) or their combinations (PS:PF; 75:25, 50:50, 25:75). Wheat crumb treatment served as control. Incorporation of pea fractions into burgers did not affect (P > .05) the colour of fresh burgers or the colour stability over 5 days of storage. All burger treatments containing pea fibre had lower (P < .05) cook loss than those formulated with wheat crumb or pea starch. Wheat crumb burgers were significantly (P < .05) softer, less cohesive and chewy than treatments with pea starch and fibre fractions. While panelist feedback suggest that 50:50 blend resulted in optimal firmness and juiciness characteristics, the acceptability mean scores of all pea starch and pea fibre blends were equivalent to wheat crumb control for all attributes which suggests that all combinations of pea starch and fibre can be utilized as gluten free alternatives to wheat crumb for meat binder applications without any detrimental impact on consumer acceptability.

The impact of high hydrostatic pressure on the functionality and consumer acceptability of reduced sodium naturally cured wieners.

The effects of high pressure processing (HPP; 600MPa for 3min at 8°C) on the quality and shelf life of reduced sodium naturally-cured wieners was studied. HPP did not negatively impact processing characteristics and assisted in extending shelf life of all wiener treatments up to a 12week storage period. At week 8, HPP wieners received higher acceptability scores, indicating HPP can effectively extend the sensory quality of products, including sodium reduced formulations containing natural forms of nitrite. Substitution of 50% NaCl with modified KCl had negative effect on textural characteristics of conventionally cured wieners but not those processed with celery powder as a source of nitrite. Celery powder favorably affected hydration of textural properties of wieners, and consumer acceptability of juiciness and texture was higher compared to nitrite. Sodium reduction, independent of curing agent, negatively impacted flavor acceptability, while only nitrite containing reduced sodium wieners scored significantly lower than both regular salt wieners for texture, juiciness and saltiness.

The use of high pressure processing to enhance the quality and shelf life of reduced sodium naturally cured restructured cooked hams.

The combined effect of partial salt replacement with modified potassium chloride and high pressure processing (600 MPa for 3 min at 8°C) on the quality and shelf life of naturally-cured restructured hams was investigated over a 12 week storage period. Instrumental, microbiological and consumer acceptability testing was performed. A partial salt substitution with modified potassium chloride adversely affected textural and water binding characteristics of hams and led to a decrease in the consumer acceptance compared to regular salt hams. Celery powder used as a curing agent had beneficial effects on water holding and moisture retention and improved bind of restructured hams; however the consumer acceptability of flavor and aftertaste received significantly lower scores compared to nitrite. No significant differences in all consumer acceptability parameters resulted for hams subjected to HPP compared to non-HPP for all storage periods indicating that HPP can effectively extend shelf-life of restructured ham without compromising eating quality.

Effect of hot water treatment of beef trimmings on processing characteristics and eating quality of ground beef.

The effect of hot water treatment of beef trimmings on the processing characteristics, shelf-life and consumer acceptability of ground beef was evaluated. Hot water treatment (85°C for 40s) substantially enhanced the microbial quality of trimmings during refrigerated storage and this was independent of the fat level of the trimmings. Treatment had no effect on the oxidative stability of trimmings stored up to 7days, ground beef displayed in a retail cabinet for up to 3days, and had minimal effect on textural properties. Instrumental results demonstrate that ground beef from hot water treated trimmings was slightly lighter and tended to have less red color compared to non-treated beef. These color differences did not impact the consumer acceptance of raw patties, and in addition, hot water treatment did not significantly affect the consumer acceptability of cooked patty attributes.

The impact of salt replacers and flavor enhancer on the processing characteristics and consumer acceptance of restructured cooked hams.

Two salt replacers (Ocean's Flavor - OF45, OF60) and one flavor enhancer [Fonterra™ 'Savoury Powder' (SP)] were evaluated for their ability to effectively reduce sodium, while maintaining the functional and sensory properties of restructured hams. Product functionality and safety were assessed using instrumental measures (yield, purge, pH, expressible moisture, proximate composition, sodium content, color, texture) and microbiological assessment. Sensory attributes were evaluated using consumer sensory panelists. All alternative formulations resulted in products with sodium contents below the Health Check(TM) Program guidelines, without detrimental effect on water binding and texture in treatments when NaCl was substituted with sea salt replacers (OF45, OF60). Sodium reduction had no effect on the shelf life of the cooked ham with up to 60 days of refrigerated storage. Consumer hedonics for flavor and aftertaste were lower for OF45 and OF60 compared to control, suggesting that these salt replacers may not be appropriate for inclusion in these products.

Physicochemical and functional properties of gelatins extracted from turkey and chicken heads.

Gelatins were prepared from chicken and turkey heads in a series of batch extractions at 2 different temperatures (50 and 60°C), and their composition and functional properties were evaluated. Gelatin yield from chicken and turkey heads was 52.29 and 62.76%, respectively, on a dry weight basis relative to the total collagen content in the raw materials. The gel strength of turkey gelatins varied from 332.7 to 368.4 g, which was significantly (P < 0.05) higher than that of chicken gelatins. Both chicken and turkey head gelatins had high solubility at acidic and alkaline pH values. However, turkey head gelatins showed better emulsifying and foaming properties compared with chicken gelatins.

Effect of canola oil emulsion injection on processing characteristics and consumer acceptability of three muscles from mature beef.

The study was undertaken to investigate the impact of the combined effect of blade tenderization and canola oil emulsion injection on processing yield and eating quality-related parameters of selected loin and hip muscles (longissimus lumborum, LL, biceps femoris, BF and semimembranosus, SM) from over thirty month (OTM) cattle. Canola oil emulsion injection significantly reduced shear force, increased sensory scores for juiciness and tenderness, and made connective tissue less perceptible. Targeted levels of omega-3 fatty acids can be achieved by the inclusion of canola oil containing marinades/emulsions at levels sufficient to retain omega-3 fatty acids in cooked product. All consumer acceptability attributes of OTM muscles were improved with the use of canola oil emulsion injection treatments without compromising colour although slightly decreasing oxidative stability of BF muscle. Injection of omega-3 oil emulsions in combination with blade tenderization can be effectively utilized to enrich injected products in essential fatty acids and enhance eating quality of OTM beef.

Evaluation of poultry protein isolate as a food ingredient: physicochemical characteristics of low-fat turkey bologna.

Evaluation of poultry protein isolate (PPI) as a food ingredient was carried out by substituting nonmeat ingredients such as soy protein isolate (SPI) or meat protein in turkey bologna. Two concentrations (1.5 and 2% dry weight basis) of PPI prepared from mechanically separated turkey meat were used in this study. Two control samples were prepared with 11 and 13% meat protein, respectively. Physicochemical characteristics of turkey bologna containing PPI were compared with those of control and SPI-containing samples. Batter strength was higher for 2% PPI and 13% meat protein control samples (control-2) compared with all other treatments. Cooking yield of the 11% meat protein control was significantly (P < 0.05) less compared with other treatments. However, there was no significant difference in the expressible moisture or purge loss among all the treatments. Control-2 showed lower L* values and was more reddish during refrigerated storage. Addition of protein isolates caused a significant increase (b* value varied between 11.48 and 12.52) in yellowness of products. Turkey bologna with added protein isolates showed significantly lower lipid oxidation as indicated by induced TBA reactive substance analysis. Results from this study suggest that SPI or meat protein could be replaced by PPI without negatively affecting product characteristics as evident from cooking yield and purge loss values.

Effects of moisture enhancement, enzyme treatment, and blade tenderization on the processing characteristics and tenderness of beef semimembranosus steaks.

The individual and combined effects of moisture enhancement with a salt/phosphate solution (ME), blade tenderization (BT), and enzyme injection with proteinases derived from Aspergillus oryzae or Bacillus subtilis on cooking properties, Warner-Bratzler shear force (WBSF), and sensory characteristics of beef semimembranosus were investigated. ME significantly (P < 0.01) reduced WBSF and increased (P < 0.05) sensory scores for juiciness and tenderness. BT increased (P < 0.05) initial and overall tenderness scores and made connective tissue less perceptible. BT combined with ME resulted in the highest initial and overall tenderness scores, however, combining ME with either proteinase was as effective for reducing WBSF and increasing tenderness, particularly at 20 (vs. 10) ppm enzyme inclusion. Tenderness of enzyme-injected steaks was increased without compromising other palatability attributes. All treatments increased the frequency of steaks rated slightly tender or higher, with the ME+BT combination, or ME with inclusion of 20 ppm of either proteinase, being most effective.

Influence of blade tenderization, moisture enhancement and pancreatin enzyme treatment on the processing characteristics and tenderness of beef semitendinosus muscle.

The combined effect of blade tenderization (BT), moisture enhancement and enzymatic tenderization on drip loss, cook loss, Warner-Bratzler shear force (WBSF) and sensory characteristics of beef semitendinosus (ST) steaks from cattle under 30 months of age was investigated. Injection with phosphate/chloride solution improved tenderness and juiciness of ST muscles (P<0.01). No additional improvement in tenderness was observed with incorporation of a pancreatin enzyme preparation into the moisture enhancement solution (P>0.1). Injection of pancreatin alone tended to improve overall tenderness (P=0.09) and did not adversely affect other palatability attributes. Blade tenderization of ST muscles improved tenderness, as indicated by lower WBSF and increased sensory tenderness scores than for control samples, without decreasing flavour and juiciness. The results suggest that moisture enhancement and blade tenderization can be effectively utilized to reduce the variability in and improve both tenderness and palatability of ST muscles. Pancreatin was not particularly effective at the 0.02% level used.

Influence of freezing and thawing on the hydration characteristics, quality, and consumer acceptance of whole muscle beef injected with solutions of salt and phosphate.

Effects of salt/phosphate injection level (112% or 125% pump), salt level (0.5% or 1.5% salt), and freezing/thawing on hydration characteristics, quality, and consumer acceptance of beef semitendinosus were investigated. All enhancement treatments decreased shear force by 25-35%, but negatively affected colour. Increased salt concentration yielded lower purge and cooking losses, and higher water holding capacity. The higher injection level reduced water binding properties, however, the loss in functionality with higher water addition was overcome with increased salt content. Freezing and subsequent thawing was generally detrimental to colour and water binding properties and tended to increase shear force. Freezing and subsequent thawing did not affect fluid release in steaks held for 1 day before analysis, but resulted in decreased water retention in samples held for 7 days. Holding vacuum packaged steaks for 7 days generally increased package purge and negatively affected colour parameters, although water binding characteristics were improved. Consumer panel results demonstrated a negative effect on juiciness and tenderness where meat subject to low salt/high injection was frozen then thawed - the low salt level was insufficient to maintain any positive effect of injection treatment. In general, salt/phosphate injection improved product acceptability and increased willingness to purchase.

Effects of mechanical treatments and moisture enhancement on the processing characteristics and tenderness of beef semimembranosus roasts.

The combined effect of blade tenderization (TD,NTD), pre-massaging (0 and 30min), moisture enhancement and post-injection tumbling (2h) on the chemical, binding and textural characteristics of pre-cooked roasts made from beef top round was investigated. Properties of the beef roasts were determined by measuring processing (i.e., cooking yield, expressible moisture (EM)) and textural characteristics (Warner-Bratzler shear, Kramer shear (KS), texture profile analysis). Brine injection helped to improve the cook yield and had the largest effect on tenderness of semimembranosus muscles. Post-injection tumbling did not significantly improve yield and textural properties of roasts; however, combined with the tenderization, it had beneficial effects on water holding and moisture retention. Pre-tumbling and blade tenderization treatments prior to injection generally were found to be beneficial for textural characteristics; pre-tumbling also tended to improve cook yield, but did not influence EM. However, no synergistic effect between these two variables was observed. An interaction between injection/tumbling and pre-tumbling was observed for KS. There was a significant improvement of KS values of roasts due to pre-tumbling observed for either non-injected roasts or those injected but without tumbling. However, no additional reduction in shear force was observed with pre-tumbling when roasts were tumbled after injection. This suggests that pre-tumbling may not be necessary to ensure more tender roasts when post-injection tumbling is applied, but would be beneficial for non-injected roasts or when tumbling is not applied after injection.

Effect of blade tenderization and tumbling time on the processing characteristics and tenderness of injected cooked roast beef.

The combined effect of blade tenderization (T, NT) and tumbling time (0, 2, 16 h) on quality characteristics of cooked beef roasts processed with 20 or 40% injection level was investigated. Properties of the beef roasts were determined by measuring processing and textural characteristics (shear force, texture profile analysis). Extended tumbling (to 16 h) favorably affected hydration properties and thermal stability, yielding lower cooking loss and purge and higher WHC for beef roasts. It also decreased shear force and hardness of beef samples by 50-60%, but was unable to increase cohesiveness. Blade tenderization prior to injection generally was found to be beneficial for textural characteristics, tended to improve cook yield, but did not influence other hydration properties. An interaction between tenderization and tumbling was observed for shear force. Blade tenderization decreased shear values by 15-20% for roasts tumbled for 0 or 2 h, but did not improve tenderness with extended tumbling.

Binding and textural properties of beef gels processed with κ-carrageenan, egg albumin and microbial transglutaminase.

The combined influence of κ-carrageenan (κ-CGN, 0.5%) and egg albumin (EA, 2%) on quality characteristics of beef gels processed without or with 0.5% microbial transglutaminase (MTG) was investigated. Beef gel properties were determined by measuring textural, hydration and colour characteristics. κ-Carrageenan favourably affected hydration properties and thermal stability, yielding lower cooking loss, purge and expressible moisture. It also increased hardness and fracturability of beef gels, but was unable to improve springiness or cohesiveness. Egg albumin either alone or in combination with MTG generally has been found to be inferior to κ-carrageenan for functionality in comminuted meat systems. Addition of EA produced an increase in lightness and yellowness, and a decrease in redness of beef gels, while the presence of κ-carrageenan resulted in lower L(∗) and b(∗), and higher a(∗) values. No significant influence of MTG on gel colour parameters was observed.

The effect of quantity and timing of brine addition on water binding and textural characteristics of cooked beef rolls.

The combined influence of quantity and timing of water/sodium chloride/phosphate addition on quality characteristics of beef rolls processed with 25 or 50% brine level was investigated. Properties of beef rolls were determined by measuring hydration and textural characteristics. The higher level of brine addition (50%) had detrimental effects on product water binding and textural characteristics. Late addition of brine/water during tumbling (i.e. during the last hour) resulted in rolls which were less hard, chewy and elastic, and had poorer water holding properties. Addition of brine in two parts favourably affected hydration properties and thermal stability, yielding lower cooking loss and purge and higher WHC, irrespective of level of brine addition. It also increased hardness and chewiness and improved springiness, cohesiveness and bind of cooked beef rolls.

Effect of fat content and soy protein/carrageenan mix on the quality characteristics of comminuted, scalded sausages.

The effects of soy protein concentrate and κ-carrageenan mix (GELPRO, 3:1 ratio) (ranging from 0 to 3%) and varying levels of collar fat (ranging from 20 to 40%) on comminuted scalded sausage quality characteristics were investigated. Sausage quality was determined by measuring textural, hydration and colour characteristics. GELPRO preparate addition favourably affected WHC and thermal stability of sausages processed regardless of the fat content. Use of an additive affects the sausage texture, but the effect depends on the amount of the additive used. Fat reduction resulted in a decrease in hardness, gumminess and chewiness of final products. Lower fat contents were also accompanied by a significant reduction in the cooking yield and WHC. Sausage colour parameters were affected only by varying fat levels (L*, b*).

Effect of content of protein, fat and modified starch on binding textural characteristics, and colour of comminuted scalded sausages.

The effects of modified potato starch addition-distarch phosphate (ranging from 3.32 to 5.68%) and varying levels of fat and protein (ranging from 11.6 to 28.4% and from 7.32 to 10.68%, respectively)-on comminuted scalded sausage quality characteristics were investigated. Sausage quality was determined by measuring textural, hydration and colour characteristics. Starch addition favourably affected WHC and cooking loss and increased hardness of sausages processed. Fat reduction resulted in an increase in cohesiveness, gumminess and chewiness values, which were not overcome by the added starch. Lower fat contents were also accompanied by a significant reduction in the cooking yield and WHC. Protein content was the variable that most influenced WHC, hardness, gumminess and chewiness. Sausage colour parameters were affected only by varying fat levels (L*, a*, b*) and protein content (L*, a*).