[Bone content in mechanically deboned pork (author's transl)]

Area of Science:

• Food science
• Analytical chemistry
• Meat science

Context:

• The accurate determination of bone content in pork is crucial for food safety and quality control.
• Existing methods for bone residue analysis can be complex and subject to variability.
• Mechanically deboned pork (MDP) requires reliable methods to quantify residual bone fragments.

Purpose:

• To validate the potassium hydroxide (KOH) method for quantifying bone content in pork.
• To establish reliable correction factors for converting hard bone residues to dry bone weight.
• To propose a maximum permissible level for hard bone residue in MDP.

Summary:

• The KOH method demonstrated no significant difference compared to known added bone content in pork samples (P > 0.05).
• Correction factors for desiccation and conversion of hard bone to dry bone were determined, showing minimal influence from pig sex or age.
• A maximum permissible hard bone residue of 0.4% in MDP is proposed, equating to approximately 1% clean bone residue.

Impact:

• Provides a validated and reliable method (KOH) for bone content analysis in pork products.
• Establishes practical guidelines for quality control in the processing of mechanically deboned pork.
• Contributes to enhanced food safety standards by defining acceptable levels of bone residue.