Influence of different amounts of phosphate on technological parameters and sensory properties of cooced ham

The objective of the present paper was to evaluate different amounts of pho sphate addition referring to technological parameters and sensory propertie s of cooked ham. The aiding of phosphate with rising amounts caused an incr ease of yield from 95% in the phosphate free batch up to 115% in the batch with a phosphate content of 0,4%. The increase of phosphate resulted in P-v alues of over 3,5. The absolut water content of the cooked ham increased mo derate,while the content of added water raise to 7,1% when the highest amou nt of phosphate (about 0,4-0,5%) was added and the amount of "meat protein in the fat-free substance" decreased below 18%. If 0,3% or more phosphate w as added, sliced and vacuum-sealed products showed the tendency of a lower drip-loss. The holding of the slices was improved by the rising addition of phosphate, caveties, tears als well as juice separation from cutted hams d ecreased accordingly. The firmness already increased clearly when a relativ ely small amount of phophate (0,03%) was added. Higher amounts of phosphate showed the tendency to cause a decrease in firmness compared to the 0,03%- batch. If raw materials with selected pH-values were used, the adding of ph osphate did not result in any negative effects like glassy bite or rubbery consistency.