46G-14 |
Enhancement of pork quality using the hydrodynamic pressure process |
J. A. CALLAHAN1, M. B. Solomon2, E. W. Paroczay2, J. S. Eastridge2, V. G. Pursel3, and A. D. Mitchell4. (1) Food Technology and Safety Lab, USDA - Agricultural Research Service, 10300 Baltimore Avenue, Bldg 201 BARC - E, Beltsville, MD 20705, (2) Food Technology and Safety Lab, (3) Gene Evaluation and Mapping Lab, (4) Growth Biology Lab Through genetic and dietary strategies, today's pork has less fat and more edible lean tissue. This decrease in fat has negatively influenced meat tenderness. The objective of this study was to improve pork tenderness using the hydrodynamic pressure process (HDP). The longissimus muscles were removed at 48 hr postmortem from nineteen pigs chosen randomly from a larger study involving transgenic (IGF-I transgene) and dietary testing of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) supplement. A 15 cm section (sirloin end) was selected for HDP treatment and the remainder was designated as control. The 15 cm section was vacuum packaged and placed onto a 1.3 cm flat metal plate inside a 98-L plastic explosive container filled with water. A 100 g binary explosive was suspended 31 cm above the meat and detonated to create the HDP shockwave treatment. Chops (2.5 cm thick) were cut after HDP treatment from both HDP treated and control loin sections for initial shear force evaluation (day 0). Additional chops (2.5 cm thick) were removed from treated and control loins, vacuum packaged, stored at 4°C and evaluated for shear force on days 3, 5, 11, and 18. Although some of the pigs were transgenic, statistically there was no significance for transgene on meat tenderness. Pigs fed CLA were more tender (13.7%) than control diet pigs. Control diet loins responded to HDP with a 13.5% improvement in shear force whereas CLA loins were not affected by HDP. Although HDP did not instantaneously tenderize the meat on day 0, the combination of HDP and aging improved loin tenderness (P<0.03). HDP treated pork reached maximum tenderness by day 11 (3.76 kg) but non-treated controls required an additional seven days (day 18) to reach 3.79 kg. Results indicate that HDP enhances pork quality by reducing the time required to produce tender meat.
Session 46G, Muscle Foods I
|