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- picture: Van Hees
One of the outstanding characteristics of “Zartin” is its solubility.
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“Enhanced meat” can be defined as fresh, whole muscle meat that has been injected or marinated with a solution of water and other ingredients that may include salt, phosphates, antioxidants, and flavourings. Whereby “regular meat” is fresh, whole muscle meat that has not been injected or marinated. The word “marinade” comes from the Mediterranean. The word is derived from the Latin or Italian marinara “of the sea”. In Roman times seawater (that is, salt water) was used as a brine to preserve fish and meat. In Spain, the word marimar means pickling in brine, sometimes with additional acids such as vinegar, citrus juices or wine. Marinades, as we have come to know them, evolved from these traditional techniques in order to extend shelf life, moisture and flavour.
There are different ways to apply the marinade to the meat. Most efficient is when whole muscle meat is passed through a machine that injects the meat with a liquid solution. These computer-controlled devices have one or more injection heads containing many fine needles that pierce the meat. Complex pressure controls, filters, flexible needle mounts, and separate shut-off controls for each needle allow the solution to be injected evenly throughout the entire cut of meat, even those containing bones. The meat may be weighed before and after injection to determine the percentage of solution added to the meat by weight. For smaller pieces just tumbling is also fine.
There are many reasons why the meat industry is trending toward enhanced meats:
• More moisture and flavour: Due to food safety concerns, consumers tend to overcook poultry. Enhanced meats retain more moisture, even when overcooked, resulting in a more tender “mouth feel”. When if comes to poultry, flavour is a factor that can be improved. Enhancing poultry helps add flavour to the meat.
• Better colour: Injecting meat with a solution containing the right ingredients results in better meat colour, increased water retention, and reduced rancidity caused by the oxidation of metal ions in meat. The combination of potassium acetate and salt can reduce the oxidation of fat, resulting in better colour and odour in some refrigerated and frozen meats.
• Extended shelf life: When meat is injected with a solution to enhance moisture and flavour, spoilage micro organisms can go along for the ride deep inside the meat. Adding a substance like sodium acetate to the solution delays or inhibits the growth of spoilage micro organisms, extending the shelf life of the meat up to 30 percent. The result is better food safety for consumers and reduced economic loss for retailers.
• Reduced “purge”: “Purge” is the liquid that accumulates in the bottom of the meat package during display in the meat case. Purge is not attractive to consumers and causes some retailers to remove and discard these products well before their shelf life expiration date. This results in lost money for retailers and higher prices for consumers. Purge also occurs when frozen meats are thawed. Injecting a solution into meat can help tie up water and minimize purge.
• New product development: Enhanced meat allows for the development of new processed fresh meat products that were previously not possible, like pre-marinated meats and seasoned fresh poultry sausage.
• Branding of meat: Meat producers can distinguish their products by putting their own brand name on enhanced poultry meat products.
• Increased profitability: By “adding value” to meat by enhancing it, meat producers can charge more for their products and achieve higher profits. Also, by solving the problems of colour retention and purge, enhanced meat facilitates the trend toward case-ready meat, meat that is butchered and packaged at the meat packing plant so that it is ready for display and sale in retail stores.
A new solution to produce enhanced meat is the product Zartin from the German based company van Hees. This multifunctional additive in dry form for processed fresh (marinated) meat and poultry products has especially been developed to increase the water binding capacity of meat.
This effect is caused by the organic acids contained in Zartin. The use of phosphate in processing has been deliberately avoided because it is rejected by many consumers, albeit mistakenly.
click on the picture (2 pictures) The product does not only raise the water binding capacity, but also contains ingredients which extend product shelf life.
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· Ingredients and their functions
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