Efficacy of lactic acid salts and sodium acetate on ground beef colour stability and metmyoglobin-reducing activity

This study examined two concentrations (0.6 and 1.0 mol) of three lactic acid salts (calcium lactate, CaL; potassium lactate, KL; and sodium lactate, NaL), with and without 0.01 mol sodium acetate (n = 3 replications), for effects on ground beef colour stability and metmyoglobin-reducing activity (MRA). Ground beef with CaL was least colour stable (P < 0.05). Increasing CaL and NaL concentration decreased (P < 0.05) colour stability. Ground beef with acetate only was most colour stable (P < 0.05), but it did not result in more MRA (P > 0.05) than control ground beef. Including both lactate and acetate was not as effective (P > 0.05) in increasing colour stability as acetate alone. In general, both KL levels were equal (P > 0.05) to the lower NaL concentration, and all three were superior in colour stability (P < 0.05) to CaL and the higher NaL concentration. More MRA was generated by including lactates (P < 0.05); KL and NaL had more MRA than CaL (P < 0.05). However, these increases in MRA did not result in improved colour stability. Overall, adding KL to ground beef would not increase ground beef colour stability over adding nothing, but CaL and high levels of NaL would decrease colour stability. Using 0.01 mol sodium acetate maximized ground beef colour stability.