Pump rate and cooked temperature effects on pork loin instrumental, sensory descriptive and consumer-rated characteristics

• Published in: Meat science 2006-04, Vol.72 (4), p.741-750
• Main Authors: Baublits, R.T., Meullenet, J.-F., Sawyer, J.T., Mehaffey, J.M., Saha, A.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Biological and medical sciences; chops; Consumer; consumer acceptance; Cooked temperature; cooking; cooking loss; cooking quality; endpoint temperature; flavor; food acceptability; Food industries; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; hardness; internal temperature; juiciness; loins (meat cut); marinating; Meat and meat product industries; meat quality; Pork; Pump rate; razor shear force; salt concentration; Sensory; sensory evaluation; shear strength; sodium chloride; sodium tripolyphosphate; texture
• ISSN: 0309-1740; 1873-4138
• DOI: 10.1016/j.meatsci.2005.10.006

Fresh pork loins ( n = 15; muscle sections, n = 30) were utilized to evaluate the effects of pump rate (0%, 6%, or 12%) with a solution of sodium tripolyphosphate and sodium chloride (0.4% and 1.0% targeted final product concentrations, respectively), and cooked endpoint internal temperature (71 or 82 °C) on instrumental texture, descriptive sensory profiles and consumer acceptance. Loins enhanced at a 12% pump rate had a higher ( P < 0.05) pH than untreated loins. While there were no differences in Warner–Bratzler shear force due to cooked endpoint temperature, chops enhanced at a 12% pump rate had lower ( P < 0.05) shear force values than untreated chops. Additionally, chops enhanced at 6% or 12% pump rates had lower ( P < 0.05) razor shear force values than untreated chops. Descriptive sensory analyses revealed that chops cooked to 71 °C had a more intense ( P < 0.05) blood serum flavor than chops cooked to 82 °C. Consumers found chops cooked to 82 °C to have a more acceptable overall flavor than chops cooked to 71 °C. Untreated chops had less intense ( P < 0.05) pork fat flavor, and more intense ( P < 0.05) blood serum, livery, and cardboard or oxidized flavor characteristics than chops enhanced at 6% or 12% pump rates. Additionally, sensory panelists reported chops enhanced at 6% or 12% pump rates to generally be more tender than untreated chops. Consumers reported a higher ( P < 0.05) overall acceptability for chops enhanced at 6% or 12% pump rates. Furthermore, both sensory panelists and consumers reported chops enhanced at 6% or 12% pump rates to be similar ( P > 0.05) in juiciness, regardless of endpoint temperature. However, untreated chops cooked to 82 °C were less juicy ( P < 0.05) than untreated chops cooked to 71 °C, suggesting retained palatability when enhanced chops are cooked to more abusive temperatures.