EFFECT OF ALKALI AND ALKALI-EARTH HALIDES ON TEXTURE AND COOKING YIELD OF COOKED COMMINUTED LEAN PORK

The effects of alkali- and alkali-earth halides and sulfates on the te xture and cooking yield of cooked lean comminuted pork were examined. Divalent cations (Ca2+ and Mg2+) associated with Br-, I- and SO42- imp arted a firm texture to meat (peak force values of 17.1-21.1 kg as com pared to 8.4 kg for the control sample devoid of any added salt). Peak force values of samples containing monovalent cations were generally low, but for most cases, were higher (P < 0.05) than that of the contr ol. The cooking yields of samples containing divalent cations (regardl ess of their anion counterparts) were not different (P > 0.05) from th at of the control. At 200 meq/kg sample, iodides of monovalent cations as well as sodium chloride increased the cooking yield by approximate ly 5-20 % compared to the control.