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Additives used in meat
There are normally
two types of additives used in meat as meat and non meat additives. Meat additive
use is a blending of meat from two different species. The significant ones are
the non meat additives and
these are dealt here in this part.
1. Salt
Salt apart from having sensory functions in most of the products has preservative
action for cured meat products .
Salt also helps
in extraction of the soluble proteins which help in binding of restructured
meat products.
Salt is used both
in dry cure as well as brining.
Only food grade
salt should be used.
The brine concentration
used is calculated as –
Percent salt
in meat Percent brine:
Percent salt
in meat
------------------------------------------------------
x 100
Percent water in meat + percent salt
Now a days some consumers wish to have less sodium due to its relationship
with hypertension and to
reduce that potassium chloride has been used to substitute sodium chloride
upto a 40% level. The use
in a ratio of 40 : 60 reduces sodium upto 34 – 35 %.
2. Nitrates
and nitrites
They are mainly
used for the following reasons-
a) stabilizing the color component
b) bacteriostatic properties specially the Clostridium botulinum.
c) characteristic flavor of cured meat
d)to check rancidity.
e) to check warmed over flavor.
The federal meat
inspection permits use of following quantities of nitrate– 7lb to 100gal pickle
3 ½ oz
to 100 lb meat ( dry cure ) 2 3/4 oz to 100 lb chopped meat.
Tthe use of nitrite
is permitted as below – 2lb to 100gal pickle 3 ½ oz to 100 lb meat (dry cure)
2 3/4 oz to 100 lb chopped meat
The finished product
should not have more than 200 ppm of nitrite ( bacon 120 ppm) and is variable
for
different products.
As the nitrates
and nitrites are used in small levels therefore they should be dissolved in
water prior to
use to ensure uniform distribution.
3. Ascorbate/erythorbate
a) sodium erythorbate or ascorbate creates reducing conditions in meat which
speed up the rate of conversion
of nitrite to nitric oxide which is important for stabilizing the meat color
b) Ascorbate helps in stabilizing cured meat color by reducing the sensitivity
of this color to fading under
retail displays.
c) They also inhibit the formation of nitrosamines in cured products.
4.Alkaline
phosphates
Used to increase
water holding capacity of meat products.
They reduce the
degree of purge in canned and cooked products.
They reduce oxidative
rancidity, by reducing the pro-oxidant activity of heavy metals in the salt.
There is some
improvement in the color stability and flavor.
Have an antioxidant
effect.
USDA has approved
for use in curing brines the sodium tripolyphosphate, sodium hexametaphosphate,
sodium acid pyrophosphate , Sodium pyrophosphate , monosodium phosphate and
disodium phosphate.
The use of the
above is restricted to an amount which will result in not more than 0.5 percent
in the finished
product. There is about 0.1 percent of naturally occurring phosphate in meat
which must be considered
in the analysis when phosphates are added.
Addition of too
much of phosphate may result in formation of crystals or whiskers and may
impart a
soapy taste.
5.Sugars
Variety of sugars
are added to meat products like sucrose, dextrose, corn syrup solids, maple
syrup,
honey etc.
They are added
for flavoring and also has some preservative action.
Most sugars except
sorbitol enhance the browning of meat products during cooking and may not
be
advantageous.
Some of sugars
also provide reducing conditions in the sausage products and thereby improve
the shelf life.
Dextrose is essential
in fermented sausages as a substrate for growth of fermenting bacteria.
6. Acidulants
Food grade acidulants
like GDL ( dlucono - delta lactone) are used.
Produces similar
tangy flavor as natural fermentation.
It is used at
0.5 percent level except in genoa salami where it is permitted at 1 percent
level.
7.Milk powder
Non fat dried
skim milk powder is used in a number of sausages.
Normally calcium
reduced form of skim milk powder is used as calcium is said to interfere with
protein
solubility.
8.Cereal
flour
They are principally
starch and their function varies with the source.
Generally added
to lower quality products for economical reasons.
They improve binding
quality, cooking yield and slicing characteristics.
9. Soy protein
Soy flour which
is finely ground product contains about 50 percent protein is used in meat
loaves
to bind water.
Soy grits can
be used in meat products intended as pizza toppings and meat patties.
Textured soy protein
used in meat patties and meat loaves.
Soy protein concentrate
available as corse granules or grits is used in emulsion type sausags.
Soy protein isolate
is used as binder as well as an emulsifier.
The levels of
soy products in meats should be regulated so that they impart the beany flavor
to the
meat products.
10.Spices,
seasonings, flavorings
They can be used
as ground spice mixes, as extracts or in combination.
The levels depend
upon the recipes and formulations of different products.
11.Antioxidants
Various antioxidants
like BHA ( butylated hydroxy- anisole ), BHT ( butylated hydroxytoluene )
and
propyl gallate.
The levels should
not exceed the USDA recommendations.
Alpha tocopherol
is a new range of antioxidant which is being used as antioxident.
Some of the spices
too have antioxidant effects.
12.Antimycotic
agents
There are some
these compounds which are used in meat products which experience mold growth.
The
compounds are potassium salts of sorbic acid, propylparaben etc.
13. Monosodium
glutamate
It is used as
a flavor enhancer in some of the meat products.
14.Sodium
lactate
It is a neutral
substance ( pH 6.5-7.5) which does not alter the pH when added to the products.
The effect of
undissociated acids such as sodium lactate has been attributed to cross molecular
membranes and acid crosses the membrane barrier to acidfy the cell interior.
