Injection of water and polyphosphate into pork to improve juiciness and tenderness after cooking

Two injection levels (5 and 10%) and three concentrations of polyphosphate (0, 3 and 5%) were used in 64 pork loin portions to assess the influence of polyphosphate injection on eating quality of pork steaks cooked by grillin g to a centre temperature of 72.5 or 80 degrees C and assessed by a trained ten member sensory panel. Polyphosphate improved water holding, and genera lly produced more tender and more juicy meat than control steaks, although pork flavour intensity was reduced and abnormal flavour intensity increased . Raising the centre temperature from 72.5 to 80 degrees C increased the co oking loss from 35 to 42%, reduced tenderness, juiciness and abnormal flavo urs and increased pork flavour intensity. Steaks containing 5% polyphosphat e and cooked to 80 degrees C were more tender and as juicy as steaks withou t polyphosphate cooked to the lower centre temperature. These effects were generally larger than those that can be achieved 'naturally' by, for exampl e, changing diets and breeds but whether the technology will be utilised in an increasingly 'additive free' climate is debatable. (C) 1999 Elsevier Sc ience Ltd. All rights reserved.