Salt concentration, type of phosphate and film sealant effects on meat adhesion to packaging films

Packaging film adhesion strength at the meat-film interface was measured on a vacuum-packaged, cook-in-the-film prepared turkey product using an approximate 90 degrees peeling angle from the plane of the meat surface. Adhesion increased (P<0.05) as added NaCl increased from 0.75% to 2.0% (w/w) but not with further increase to 2.5%. Sodium phosphates at 0.4% (w/w) increased (P<0.05) adhesion strength as follows: pyrophosphate > tripolyphosphate > monophosphate > no phosphate = hexametaphosphate. Film sealants of nylon blend and Surlyn (R) produced more (P<0.05) adhesion to meat surfaces than linear low density polyethylene-Surlyn<(R)> blend, linear low density polyethylene-ethyl vinyl acetate or ethylene-propylene copolymer. Nylon blend sealant had the most surface adhesion (171.2 g/cm) and surface energy (56.2 dynes/cm) whereas ethylene-propylene copolymer yielded the lowest measures (6.3 g/cm and 31.7 dynes/cm, respectively). Film-to-meat adhesion responded to NaCl concentration and type of phosphate in the same manner as water and meat-to-meat binding respond during meat processing.