EFFECT OF COOKING TEMPERATURE ON THE MICROSTRUCTURE OF MEAT BATTERS PREPARED WITH SALT AND PHOSPHATE

Poultry meat batters were prepared by finely comminuting mechanically deboned turkey meat and fat with salt (25 g/kg NaCl), or with reduced sodium (15 g/kg NaCl) plus tripolyphosphate (4.1 g/kg TPP). The gelati on process was followed during cooking (20-70 degrees). Gel strength, measured by the penetration test, tripled as temperature increased fro m 50 to 55 degrees C and then doubled again when temperature was raise d to 60 degrees C. The amount of soluble proteins continuously decreas ed (P<0.05) as heating temperature increased. Cryo-scanning electron m icrographs revealed that adding phosphate to the low sodium meat batte r resulted in a protein matrix with larger pores compared to the 25 g/ kg NaCl treatment (both treatments were formulated with equal ionic st rength). The overall differences in microstructure of the two treatmen ts remained the same during cooking (micrographs taken every 10 degree s C). Development of a rigid gel structure during cooking was characte rized by some contraction of protein strands within the matrix.