FREEZE THAW STABILITY OF COOKED PORK SAUSAGES AS AFFECTED BY SALT, PHOSPHATE, PH, AND CARRAGEENAN/

The effects of kappa, iota, or lambda carrageenan (CGN), sodium tripol yphosphate (STPP), chloride salts, and meat pH on the freeze/thaw stab ility of cooked pork sausages were investigated. STPP decreased thaw d rip (TD) and increased hardness for all treatments regardless of type of salt or CGN. KCl did not affect the texture of control samples in t he presence of STPP, but decreased the functionality of kappa- and iot a-CGN. Increased meat pH increased the hardness and decreased thaw dri p for all CGN treatments, except for lambda-CGN, which remained unchan ged. kappa- and iota-CGN increased moisture retention of sausages prep ared from low-pH meat.