Effects of NaCl Concentration and Potassium Chloride Substitutions on the Thermal Properties and Lipid Oxidation of Dry-Cured Pork

Potassium Chloride as an Effective Alternative to Sodium Chloride in Delaying the Thermal Aggregation of Liquid Whole Egg

The potential of potassium chloride (KCl) to be used as a substitute for sodium chloride (NaCl) was studied by monitoring the effects of salt treatment on thermal behavior, aggregation kinetics, rheological properties, and protein conformational changes. The results show that the addition of KCl can improve solubility, reduce turbidity and particle size, and positively influence rheological parameters such as apparent viscosity, consistency coefficient (K value), and fluidity index (n). These changes indicate delayed thermal denaturation. In addition, KCl decreased the content of β-sheet and random coil structures and increased the content of α-helix and β-turn structures. The optimal results were obtained with 2% KCl addition, leading to an increase in Tp up to 85.09 °C. The correlation results showed that Tp was positively correlated with solubility, α-helix and β-turn but negatively correlated with ΔH, turbidity, β-sheet and random coil. Overall, compared to NaCl, 2% KCl is more effective in delaying the thermal aggregation of LWE, and these findings lay a solid theoretical foundation for the study of sodium substitutes in heat-resistant liquid egg products.

New Approaches to Production of Turkish-type Dry-cured Meat Product "Pastirma": Salt Reduction and Different Drying Techniques

In this study, the possible changes in the quality characteristics of pastırma, Turkish-type dry-cured meat product, produced by using two different salts (NaCl-KCl) in a curing mixture and two different production techniques (natural and controlled condition) were examined. Moisture, pH, salt, sodium, potassium, TBA, fat, water activity, instrumental colour, texture, and sensory analyses were implemented in order to determine the possible effects of these applications. Fat, aw, pH, colour, tiobarbituric acid (TBA), texture, salt, Na and K values may allow these desired modifications in pastirma production to be limited. The substitution of 15% KCl instead of NaCl was acceptable in terms of the sensorial properties of the pastirma. However, the sensory analyses did not allow for using a higher KCl instead of NaCl because both the hardness and chewiness in the texture of the pastirma samples salted with 30% of KCl were not scored positively. Besides this, negative effects, which may occur during the pastirma production under natural conditions, can be eliminated by the production being under controlled conditions.

Commercial Mineral Enhanced Dairy By-Products as Sodium Replacers, Antioxidants and Calcium Fortifiers in Sausages

Sausages are perceived as high in Na and with a too high Na:K ratio. Frankfurter type sausages are regarded as important contributors of sodium in the diet and thereby of health risks. Surplus products from the dairy industry are various mineral powders enriched in either potassium, calcium, or phosphate and include various amounts of lactose. Sausages were produced at 3 sodium levels (equivalent to 13, 15, and 17 g NaCl/kg sausage) using 4 different milk ingredients (a dried skimmed milk powder, a calcium enriched milk powder, a potassium enriched powder, and a lactose enriched powder). The sausages with added calcium and potassium enriched milk powders resulted in the hardest sausages when compared at the same sodium level. Milk mineral addition also produced whiter and less red sausages. No effect on rancidity after 6 wk at chill (4 °C) storage was observed by adding milk minerals, when compared with adding dried skimmed milk powder. A significant advantage of using these milk minerals in sausages is that the Na:K ratio can be reduced from an unhealthy (in this study 36) to a far healthier ratio ( ̴ 2) with limited or no taste changes. High additions of milk calcium (6 g/kg), where Ca-phosphates prevail, added as milk mineral, had no influence on sensory bitterness or aftertaste as typically observed for CaCl₂ additions. Ca additions to sausages are presently presumed to be an advantage with respect to human nutrition.

The Interaction Between Lipoxygenase-Catalyzed Oxidation and Autoxidation in Dry-Cured Bacon and a Model System

A model system was conducted to characterize the interaction between lipid autoxidation and enzyme-catalyzed oxidation in dry-cured bacon. This involved the use of a hydroxyl radical (HO•) generating system and the extraction and purification of lipoxygenases (LOX) from pork belly. The results showed that LOX activity rapidly (P < 0.05) increased during the curing of dry-cured bacon. This may be because of the hydroxyl-radical-mediated oxidation from LOX-Fe(2+) to LOX-Fe(3+), which activates LOX. In addition, experiments of the model system also showed that LOX activity could be inhibited by increasing the substrate concentration, although substrate type and concentration had no effect on autoxidation. Moreover, LOX enzyme-catalyzed oxidation and autoxidation could act synergistically to promote lipid oxidation irrespective of the substrate (linoleic or arachidonic acid). These results provide useful information for regulating lipid oxidation during the production of dry-cured pork products.