The suitability of plasma powder for cold-set binding of pork and restructured dry ham

• Plasma powder can be used to restructure fresh deboned legs as a cold-set binder.
• Plasma powder provides enough stable cross-links between fresh meat surfaces.
• Restructured deboned leg can be salted and dried to manufacture dry-ham.
• Binding parameters are affected by meat pre-treatments and plasma powder preparation.
• The use of powder or rehydrated plasma affects the binding area morphology.

To determine the ability of cold-set binder plasma powder (PP) for manufacturing restructured deboned dry ham, the effect of meat pre-treatment and PP preparation on the binding rate (k) and maximum binding force (BFmax) of pork model systems and deboned ham were evaluated. In pork model systems, the highest values for k (about 0.4 Ncm− 2 h− 1) and BFmax (about 2.5 Ncm− 2) were obtained when powder or rehydrated plasma [in water or in NaCl aqueous solution at 0.5%] was applied onto the meat surface without additional pre-treatment or prior immersion in saline aqueous solution. Similar meat pre-treatment and PP preparation were used to restructure fresh deboned leg resulting in stable meat binding performances during salting and drying. An important increase in the binding force (BFmax > 10 Ncm− 2) occurred over the drying period (after 4 weeks). Scanning electron microscopy showed different morphologies of the binding area, mainly depending on whether powder or rehydrated plasma was used.