Meat+Poultry - March 2019 - 74

INGREDIENT ISSUES

When customers are
shopping for beef they
are looking for bright,
cherry red meat. Green
tea extracts can positively
impact the appearance,
as well as the taste and
quality of meat and poultry.

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74

concentrations of myoglobin
in their blood, which is
why there are varying
intensities of red in meat.
Beef, for example,
has about four times as
much myoglobin as pork.
With poultry, the white meat
is virtually void of myoglobin
while dark meat gets its
name because of its
myoglobin content.
There are many
technologies to assist with
slowing color loss. This includes
modified atmosphere packaging, reducing
exposure to in-store lighting and addition of
ingredients that stabilize desirable color. There
are conventional generally recognized as safe
(GRAS) additives and clean-label options.
One way to stabilize color is to manage
pH. In cured meats, a low pH is best while in
fresh, non-cured meats, a higher pH is desired.
Depending on the ingredient and usage level,
pH adjustments may be accompanied with a
change in flavor. Lowering pH may create an
acidic bite while increasing pH can be bitter.
Specialty phosphates are the exception.
Selection and application of the proper
phosphate can provide a desired pH, which
in turn, helps stabilize color. Phosphates are
generally used at very low addition rates, no
more than 0.5 percent.
When it comes to developing and
preserving desirable cured pink color in
bacon, ham and select sausages and deli-style

meats, processors have historically relied on
curing salts, a source of nitrates and nitrites.
These chemicals keep meat red by bonding to
the myoglobin and acting as a substitute for
oxygen. They also are responsible for adding a
zingy, tangy flavor to meat. Curing also breaks
down and tenderizes tough protein fibers,
resulting in a compact yet tender texture.
While these traditional color stabilizers
are still widely used in the industry, many
processors are turning to plant and spice
ingredient systems with color stabilizing
functions to meet consumer demand for clean,
simple, natural ingredients.
Some ingredients are capable of contributing desirable cured color and flavor to uncured
cooked meats. Celery juice, for example, is an
inherent source of nitrates and nitrites. Some
spice blends allow for cured color with very
low residual nitrate and nitrite content.
Rosemary and green tea extracts are
another example. These two extracts positively
impact the appearance, taste and quality
of meat and poultry. Both contain phenolic
compounds that function as antioxidants,
preventing oxidative breakdown of meat
pigments by being oxidized themselves.
The main difference between the two
plant extracts is that green tea extract has a
lower negative flavor contribution to the final
product. Thus, using a lower level of rosemary
extract in combination with green tea extract
allows the manufacturer to increase the natural
plant extract usage rate, often resulting in
a blend that works better in the meat than
using rosemary alone, according to a study
conducted at the Univ. of Nebraska-Lincoln.
Acerola cherry extract is also proving
to be a highly effective ingredient in meat
and poultry. Extracted from the namesake
wild plant, acerola extract contributes the
antioxidant vitamin C. Acerola extract, blended
with rosemary and green tea, has been shown
to delay both lipid and myoglobin oxidation.
Some fruit ingredients have also been
shown to assist with color in fresh and cooked
meat products. Plum concentrate, for example,
provides an extra layer of protection for
preserving or enhancing color. It does not stop
oxidation, but will help improve appearance.
In some processed meat applications, the rich
deep brown color of dried plum can replace
the need for caramel coloring.
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