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Potassium Carbonate Improves Fresh Pork Quality Characteristics

Potassium Carbonate Improves Fresh Pork Quality Characteristics

Michelle N LeMaster, Surinder S Chauhan, Macdonald P Wick, Daniel L Clark, Eric M England

Meat Sci. 2019 Oct;156:222-230.

PMID: 31226650

Abstract:

Meat enhancement strategies like sodium tripolyphosphate (STP) are used to improve fresh meat quality attributes like color, water-holding capacity, and tenderness. However, alternatives are necessary because of reduced consumer acceptance of STP. One alternative is potassium carbonate (K2CO3). A study was conducted to evaluate K2CO3's impact on fresh, boneless, center-cut pork loins enhanced with one of five treatments: a negative control, positive control (0.3% STP), and three concentrations of K2CO3 (0.1, 0.3, and 0.5%). Loins were cut into chops, stored under simulated retail display, and analyzed for color (L*, a*, b*), pH, cook loss, and tenderness. For each quality characteristic measured, the 0.3% and 0.5% K2CO3 maintained redness (a*), decreased yellowness (b*), reduced cooking loss, and maintained tenderness compared to STP. SDS-PAGE analysis further determined that both K2CO3 and STP extracted myosin heavy chain. Combined, these data suggest that K2CO3 may function as an alternative to STP in the fresh pork industry provided microbial safety and shelf-life are appropriately controlled.

Chemicals Related in the Paper:

Catalog Number	Product Name	Structure	CAS Number	Price
AP584087-A	Potassium carbonate		584-08-7	Price

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