Enhancement with varying phosphate types, concentrations, and pump rates, without sodium chloride on beef biceps femoris quality and sensory characteristics

Beef biceps femoris muscles (n = 45) were used to evaluate the effect of enhancement with solutions containing sodium hexametaphosphate (SHMP), sodium tripolyphosphate (STPP), or tetrasodium pyrophosphate (TSPP) at either 0.2% or 0.4% of product weight, without sodium chloride. All solutions were injected into muscle samples at either 112% (12% pump) or 118% (18% pump) of raw product weight. Muscles enhanced with STPP or TSPP had a higher (P < 0.05) pH than SHMP or untreated muscles (CNT), whereas there was no difference (P > 0.05) in pH between SHMP and CNT. Muscles enhanced with STPP had less (P < 0.05) free water than CNT, whereas SHMP and TSPP did not differ from CNT. However, direct comparison of phosphate types revealed no difference (P > 0.05) in free water. Steaks enhanced with SHMP had greater (P < 0.05) cooking losses than CNT, whereas steaks treated with STPP or TSPP did not differ (P > 0.05) from CNT. Phosphate inclusion at 0.2% allowed for greater (P < 0.05) cooking losses than CNT, whereas 0.4% phosphate inclusion exhibited similar (P > 0.05) cooking losses as CNT. Although there were no differences (P > 0.05) in cooking loss between pump rates, steaks enhanced at an 18% pump rate had greater (P < 0.05) cooking losses than CNT, whereas those enhanced at 12% had similar (P > 0.05) cooking losses as CNT. Enhancement with any of the three phosphate types or either concentration did not improve (P > 0.05) sensory tenderness or juiciness characteristics compared to CNT, but enhancement at an 18% pump rate allowed for improved (P < 0.05) overall tenderness, compared to a 12% pump rate. These results suggest that while phosphate enhancement independent of sodium chloride generally did not improve water retention, cooked yields and palatability compared to untreated samples, utilizing higher phosphate concentrations or utilizing STPP or TSPP effectively retained the additional water associated with solution enhancement, allowing for similar free water and cook yields as untreated samples.