MEAT+POULTRY - January 2015 - 78

INGREDIENT ISSUES

Phosphates also chelate ions in the protein
system, which contributes to increased
water-holding capacity. Chelating divalent ions
prevents them from forming cross-bridges
between proteins, allowing the proteins to more
readily unfold and bind free water.

Photo courtesy of Innophos

"Their
[phosphates]
primary
role in meat
systems is
best described
as 'protein
management.'"

"Iron is widely found in hemoglobin from
blood cells and in myoglobin from muscle
cells," adds Yuan. "When meat is cooked, iron
will be partially released from hemoglobin
and myoglobin, which in turn will facilitate
lipid oxidation in final products. Pyro and
polyphosphates have been proven to be
excellent chelators of iron. Binding the iron
delays the development of rancidity in
processed meat.
"The buffering capacity of phosphates
decreases as chain length increases," Yuan says.
"Only pyro and higher-order phosphates have
chelation capacity, and this varies by mineral
and pH."
From a USDA labeling perspective,
phosphates need only be declared as "sodium
phosphate," or in the case of the new
generation of no-sodium phosphates, then
"potassium phosphate." "But in actuality,
each is unique in character and performance,"
Anderson says. "Buffering capacity, chelation,
water-holding capacity and solubility vary
greatly, depending upon the chain-length of the
respective phosphate."

FUNCTIONAL AND ECONOMIC BENEFITS
Proper selection and use of phosphates can

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MEAT+ POULTRY | 01.15 | www.meatpoultry.com

increase yields by more than 10 percent, thus
reducing shrinkage (moisture loss) and purge
(cook-out) during further processing and final
cooking. This has both economic and product
quality advantages.
"Superior cook yields cannot be over
emphasized, especially when quality is
considered," Anderson adds. "And while these
attributes are critical in today's marketplace,
phosphates also provide ancillary benefits.
These include color development and
stabilization, flavor protection from oxidation
and antimicrobial properties, to name a few."
Yuan explains how phosphates improve
the eating quality of meat. "For example,
phosphates can increase the cooking yield and
shelf-life of processed meats while maintaining
juiciness and flavor," he says. "They improve
stability of emulsion products, such as hot dogs,
and reduce purge after vacuum packaging. In
frozen products, phosphates diminish freezethaw loss and in formed products, they bind
meat chunks together.
"When acidic phosphate is used in the
curing process, phosphates shorten the curing
process," he adds. "Cured meat develops color
due to the binding of myoglobin with nitric
oxide. Decreasing the pH by 0.2 to 0.3 units will
double the production rate of nitric oxide and
in turn, cured color. Acidic phosphates, such
as sodium acid pyrophosphate facilitate the
production of nitric oxide."
Phosphates added to uncooked frozen
poultry products exert a cryoprotective effect
on the protein and lipids. This assists the protein
with binding water and minimizes moisture loss
during thawing while also protecting against the
development of rancid flavors.
In the production of comminuted poultry,
such as chicken nuggets and turkey franks,
phosphates, salt and ice are added to the ground
meat and physically mixed for dispersion. The
hydrated protein forms a matrix that entraps the
fat, with the phosphate stabilizing the emulsion
during the cooking process. This results in
decreased cook-cool loss.
Like other ingredient technologies,
phosphate offerings continue to improve.
"Innovations have focused on several key
attributes, including development of phosphates
with varied chain lengths, targeted pH range,
mixed sodium and potassium content, controlled
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