Restructured Pork from Hot-Processed Sow Meat: Effect of Particle Size and Blend Ratio ¹

Area of Science:

• Meat Science
• Food Processing Technology
• Animal Science

Background:

• Restructured meat products offer opportunities to utilize less tender cuts and improve processing efficiency.
• Sow meat presents unique challenges and opportunities for value-added product development.
• Optimizing processing parameters is crucial for achieving desired quality attributes in restructured meat.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of grind size and blend ratio on the quality and sensory characteristics of restructured pork made from hot-processed sow meat.
• To determine the optimal combination of fine ground (FG) and tenderized muscle chunks (TMC) for restructured pork production.
• To evaluate the feasibility of different TMC grind sizes (kidney plate, double kidney plate, kidney plate followed by 10 mm plate) in combination with FG and TMC ratios.

Main Methods:

• A 2x3 factorial experimental design was employed.
• Two blend ratios were tested: 50% FG/50% TMC and 40% FG/60% TMC.
• Three TMC grind sizes were utilized: kidney plate (K), double kidney plate (KK), and kidney plate followed by 10 mm plate (K10).

Main Results:

• No significant differences were observed in cooking loss, juiciness, connective tissue, or flavor scores across treatments.
• Restructured steaks from the 40FG/60K treatment exhibited higher cohesiveness compared to several other treatments.
• Shear force values varied, with 40FG/60K showing higher values than 50FG/50KK, which in turn had higher values than 50FG/50K10 and 40FG/60K10.
• Tensile strength was greater in 50FG/50K10 compared to 50FG/50KK treatments.

Conclusions:

• A 50% FG/50% TMC blend ratio is recommended for commercial restructured pork production from sow meat, offering practical advantages.
• This optimal ratio does not necessitate specific TMC grind sizes to achieve comparable product quality.
• Utilizing a 50/50 blend is more practical for carcass utilization and does not result in diminished product quality compared to a 40/60 FG/TMC ratio.