Properties of refrigerated ground beef treated with potassium lactate and sodium diacetate

BACKGROUND: Ground meat is product that perishes easily and therefore various preservatives are applied to prolong its shelf life. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of potassium lactate and sodium diacetate (Protec K-DI preparation) on general proteolytic activity, protein degradation, texture, colour and water-holding capacity of vacuum-packaged ground beef. RESULTS: The activity of endogenous proteolytic enzymes, and hence the rate of protein hydrolysis changed significantly (P < 0.05) during refrigerated storage. The proteolysis was more intensive in the meat with the preservative than in a control sample. According to the results of SDS-PAGE, the level of myosin in ground beef decreased with increasing storage time, whereas the preservative did not have a significant effect (P > 0.05) on these changes. However, its impact was the most significant in the case of tropomyosin and troponin T content, as well as changes of 30 kDa protein content. The preservative as well as the increase in storage time influenced an increase in content of polypeptides, peptides and some amino acids in the samples, and had an inhibiting effect on unfavourable changes in ground beef hardness. The preservative addition allowed the meat to maintain desired meat colour, and the main pigment during refrigerated storage was oxymyoglobin (MbO(2)). CONCLUSION: Results showed that the Protec K-DI preparation can be useful in minced meat production as a good stabiliser of colour and texture despite the increase observed in proteolytic activity after the preservative addition. (C) 2007 Society of Chemical Industry.