Effects of enhancement with varying phosphate types and concentrations, at two different pump rates on beef biceps femoris instrumental color characteristics

The effect of enhancing beef biceps femoris muscles (n = 45) with solutions comprising 2.0% sodium chloride and either sodium hexametaphosphate (SHMP), sodium tripolyphosphate (STPP), or tetrasodium pyrophosphate (TSPP) at either 0.2% or 0.4% of product weight on instrumental color during simulated retail display was investigated. All solutions were injected into muscle samples at either 112% (12% pump) or 118% (18% pump) of raw product weight. Muscles treated with all three phosphate types had lower (P < 0.05) L* and b* values compared to untreated muscles (CNT). Steaks enhanced with STPP had similar (P > 0.05) a* values as CNT, whereas SHMP- and TSPP-treated steaks generally had lower a* values than CNT. Across phosphate type, excluding day 3 of display, steaks treated with phosphate at 0.4% had similar (P > 0.05) a* values as CNT, whereas those with 0.2% phosphate addition had lower (P < 0.05) a* values than CNT. Across five days of display, STPP maintained higher (P < 0.05) a* values than steaks treated only with sodium chloride, whereas SHMP did not differ (P > 0.05) from sodium chloride-treated steaks. While STPP maintained a similar (P > 0.05) saturation index as CNT, SHMP and TSPP generally had decreased (P < 0.05) vividness during display. Additionally, excluding day 3 of display, phosphate concentration at 0.4% maintained similar vividness as CNT, whereas 0.2% phosphate concentration caused decreased (P < 0.05) vividness, compared to CNT. The 630/580 nm ratio results indicated that SHMP had less (P < 0.05) oxymyoglobin than CNT throughout display. Disregarding day 3 of display, both STPP and TSPP had similar (P > 0.05) oxymyoglobin proportions as CNT. These results indicate that STPP was the most effective phosphate type for maintaining color. Additionally, 0.4% phosphate concentrations can maintain color better than 0.2% phosphate concentrations. However, none of the phosphate/salt combinations produced superior color, compared to untreated steaks.