Minimum sodium nitrite levels for pinking of various cooked meats as related to use of direct or indirect-dried soy isolates in poultry rolls

The relationship between sodium nitrite level and pinking was investigated in cooked meats, as measured by panel color score, acetone extraction of NO -hemochrome, and instrumental redness values. Beef was less susceptible tha n poultry breast meat to nitrite-induced pinking. Minimum sodium nitrite le vel for pinking was 14, 4, 2, and 1 ppm for beef round, pork shoulder, turk ey breast, and chicken breast, respectively. By regression analysis, minimu m ppm nitrite for pinking = 0.092 (ppm total pigment) + 0.53 (R-2 = 0.99). High levels of nitrate (>250 ppm as sodium nitrate) and nitrite (>45 ppm as sodium nitrite) were found in direct-dried (DD) soy isolates. Chicken brea st rolls formulated with >2% DD soy were pink, but control rolls with 156 p pm sodium nitrate were not pink. Thus, it was concluded that nitrite was th e primary pinking agent in DD soy. Indirect-dried (ID) soy isolates contain ed <11 ppm sodium nitrite, which was insufficient for pinking in poultry ro lls. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.