Potassium carbonate improves fresh pork quality characteristics

Abstract

Meat enhancement strategies like sodium tripolyphosphate (STP) are used to improve fresh meat quality attributes like color, water-holding capacity, and tenderness. However, alternatives are necessary because of reduced consumer acceptance of STP. One alternative is potassium carbonate (K2CO3). A study was conducted to evaluate K2CO3's impact on fresh, boneless, center-cut pork loins enhanced with one of five treatments: a negative control, positive control (0.3% STP), and three concentrations of K2CO3 (0.1, 0.3, and 0.5%). Loins were cut into chops, stored under simulated retail display, and analyzed for color (L*, a*, b*), pH, cook loss, and tenderness. For each quality characteristic meas..