Quality, yield, shelf-life, and tenderness of pork loins enhanced with either a salt and phosphate brine, a salt and pork protein solution, or a salt, vinegar, and pork protein solution

This study compared the ability of a pork protein solution (PPS) to substitute for a salt/phosphate (CTL) marinade in enhanced pork loins by measuring quality, yield, shelf-life, tenderness, and sensory traits. Loins (n = 78) were sorted into three groups of similar initial quality and injected with either CTL brine, salt and PPS, or salt, vinegar, and PPS. Loins enhanced with PPS had reduced sodium content as compared to the CTL brine. Thaw loss and total loss were greater in chops from PPS loins compared to chops from CTL loins. There were advantages in microbial shelf-life of loins enhanced with salt, vinegar and PPS compared to loins injected with CTL or salt and PPS. With consumer trends towards reduced-sodium products, PPS injection appears to have advantages over traditional enhancement technologies. However, additional research should be conducted to improve the yield characteristics of PPS-injected pork products.