Generally, the addition amount of phosphate in meat products will not exceed 0.5%, except for 0.1% of muscle background residue, and generally it will not exceed 0.3% in actual production. This will lead to a result that no matter what the water-retaining demand of meat products is, the total amount of phosphate added is almost controlled on the ceiling, and it is impossible to work hard on one type of phosphate to improve the water-retaining rate/performance, but the phosphorus-free water-retaining agent is generally not restricted by this addition, and its excellent water-retaining ability is excellent.
01.Mechanism and defects of phosphate water-retaining agent
A compound food additive with phosphate compounds such as sodium pyrophosphate, sodium tripolyphosphate and sodium hexametaphosphate as main components.
Action mechanism:
1. Improve the pH of raw meat, make it deviate from the isoelectric point of myosin, and improve the water retention of meat.
2. Improve the binding capacity of protein and water.
3. Promote the dissociation of actin into actin and myosin, and improve the water retention of meat.
4. Increasing ionic strength can improve protein solubility, which is beneficial to the dissolution of protein in myofibrils and improve water retention.
Defects:
1. Excessive intake of phosphate affects the absorption of essential elements such as calcium, iron, copper and zinc, which is harmful to human health.
2. A large amount of phosphate will produce unpleasant metallic astringency, which will lead to a rough product structure and seriously affect the natural flavor of food.
02.Mechanism and defects of phosphorus-free water-retaining agent (acidity regulator)
At present, the phosphorus-free water-retaining agent on the market is mainly a compound form of pH regulator (carbonate, citrate)+hydrophilic substance (colloid, protein substance)+salt.
Principle of action:
1. Using self-swelling increases the space of myofibrils and increases the space of internal water retention.
2. A protective film is formed outside the muscle fiber to prevent internal water loss.
3. Extraction of salt-soluble H-band and A-band proteins can increase the soluble protein content and improve the gel structure.
4. Combine with myofibrillar protein to enhance the stability of myofibrils and prevent myofibrillar protein degeneration.
5. Improve the pH of raw meat, make it deviate from the isoelectric point of myosin, and improve the water retention of meat.
6. Hydrophilic substances combine with free water to reduce "eutectic point" and prevent protein coagulation and denaturation.
7. Salt increases the ionic strength of meat, makes myofibrillar protein dissolve out, and increases electrostatic repulsion.
Defects:
1. Adding more additives is inconsistent with the demands of health.
2. Affect the natural flavor of food
3. It is inconvenient to use and operate, and needs to be sheared and dissolved.
4. The quality of products in the market is uneven and chaotic.
03.Difference contrast
1. The addition amount is different
According to the national regulations, the phosphorus content of finished products should not exceed 0.5%. In order to pursue the yield, manufacturers often add too much, which invisibly increases the legal risk. Because the ingredient formula of phosphorus-free water-retaining agent does not contain phosphate, the addition amount can be appropriately increased to ensure the full absorption of water and the yield of finished products.
2. Different adaptation ranges
Phosphorus-free water-retaining agent is suitable for conditioning products, and its taste is relatively bulky, so it is not suitable for processing compact meat products. In contrast, phosphate products do not lose water after thawing, and have a wider scope of application, which can be widely used in flour products, meat products and aquatic products.
3. Different processes
Because of different formulations, phosphorus-containing water-retaining agents often need to be processed with rolling and injection processes to ensure superior water-retaining properties of products, while most phosphorus-free water-retaining agents are produced by rolling and kneading processes after being dissolved in water. However, many people often use the product directly instead of phosphate, which will have great differences in the taste and properties of the product. Therefore, it is necessary to adjust the whole product formula and processing technology to ensure the product quality.
4. Different taste
The products produced by two kinds of water-retaining agents have a small range of differences in taste, and the products produced by phosphorus-containing water-retaining agents are more compact in structure and have sufficient elasticity and toughness in taste. The products produced by phosphorus-free water-retaining agent will make the products more juicy and tender. However, in order to retain water, the meat products produced by traditional phosphate often have bitter taste. Because the phosphorus-free water-retaining agent is different from ordinary phosphorus-containing products, even if it is added in excess, it will not have any effect on the taste of the products, which truly restores the taste of the meat products.
The experiment proved that proper and reasonable use of phosphorus-free water-retaining agent can obviously improve the water-retaining capacity of meat products.
