Effect of Processing, Packaging and Various Antioxidants on Lipid Oxidation of Restructured Pork

Effects of processing (prerigor vs. postrigor), packaging (vacuum vs. PVC overwrap) and various antioxidants [sodium tripolyphosphate (STP); butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA); butylated hydro xytolulene (BHT) plus citric acid (BBC); α-tocopherol (Toc); and ascorbyl palmitate plus α-tocopherol (APT)] on the oxidation of restructured pork chops after storage at 4°C were evaluated. Three barrows were slaughtered on separate days and were used as replicates in the experiment. One side of each carcass was boned within 1 h postmortem (prerigor) and the remaining side was boned after 24 h at 4°C (postrigor). Restructured chops were formulated to contain 25% fat and six 4.5-kg batches were randomly allotted to the six antioxidant treatments: (a) 0% NaCl (NSC); (b) 0.5% NaCl (SC); (c) 0.5% NaCl + 0.5% STP; (d) 0.5% NaCl + BBC; (e) 0.5% NaCl + Toc; and (f) 0.5% NaCl + APT. Batches were stuffed in a fibrous casing, frozen for 2 h and sliced (19 mm). The sliced chops were randomly allotted to vacuum and PVC overwrap packaging treatments and evaluated for discoloration and TBA value on days 0, 4, 8, 12 and 16. Vacuum packaging reduced discoloration scores and lowered TBA values (P<0.01) on days 8, 12 and 16. TBA values for all antioxidant treatments differed from the SC treatment on days 12 and 16 (P<0.05). These data indicate that antioxidants and/or vacuum packaging are effective methods of controlling discoloration and oxidation of restructured pork during storage; however, processing time postmortem did not affect (P>0.05) the rate of lipid oxidation.