Phosphate-free meat dry powder pickling material as well as preparation method, pickling method and application thereof

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of food processing, and discloses a phosphate-free meat dry powder marinade as well as a preparation method, a marinade method and application thereof. The marinade is prepared from the following raw materials in parts by weight: 28 to 36 parts of edible sugar, 20 to 28 parts of spice, 18 to 22 parts of edible salt, 13 to 17 parts of starch, 5 to 7 parts of monosodium glutamate, 1 to 3 parts of disodium 5 '-ribonucleotide, 0.5 to 1.5 parts of yeast extract, 0.15 to 0.25 part of food-grade protease, 0.15 to 0.25 part of acidulant and 0.08 to 0.12 part of sodium alginate. According to the invention, the yeast extract is introduced into a phosphate-free functional system taking trace food-grade protease and sodium alginate as cores, and the yeast extract, the trace food-grade protease and the sodium alginate generate a synergistic interaction effect through a specific dry powder compounding technology. The yeast extract contributes to rich natural flavor, and components such as nucleotide and small peptide contained in the yeast extract can assist in meat conditioning and mutually promote tenderization of protease and water retention of polysaccharide gel, so that the effect of a traditional phosphate-containing marinade or a complex liquid treatment process is achieved or approached within an extremely short pickling time.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of food processing technology, and in particular to a phosphate-free dry meat marinade, its preparation method, marinating method, and application. Background Technology

[0002] In meat pre-treatment and marinating processes, food-grade phosphates (such as sodium tripolyphosphate and sodium pyrophosphate) are widely used due to their excellent water-holding, tenderizing, and texture-stabilizing properties. For example, CN201410285774.3 discloses a method for making lamb skewers, which effectively maintains the water retention and shape of the skewers by adding 0.5-0.7 parts of phosphate and using a tumbling process. However, studies have shown that long-term excessive intake of phosphates can disrupt the body's calcium-phosphorus balance, increasing the risk of cardiovascular disease and kidney burden, which contradicts the current trend of consumers pursuing "clean labels" and healthy eating. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop a phosphate-free marinade to meet these needs.

[0003] Chinese patent application CN201811340980.4, filed on November 12, 2018, discloses a method for preparing steak and the steak itself. While the marinade does not contain phosphates, it requires a complex process involving spraying sodium alginate solution, injecting papain solution, and adding calcium chloride to the marinade to tenderize the meat and avoid phosphates. This method relies on preparing active ingredients into solutions and undergoing multiple steps (injection, calcium ion gelation), making it complex, costly, and difficult to control, and unsuitable for scenarios requiring simple and quick dry powder marinating.

[0004] In summary, existing technologies either rely entirely on phosphates or face problems such as complex processes (requiring liquid injection, additional calcium ions, etc.), single-function components, long marinating times, or unstable results when attempting phosphate-free alternatives. Therefore, this invention proposes a phosphate-free dry powder marinade for meat that achieves rapid and efficient tenderization and water retention through solid powder form without adding phosphates or requiring complex liquid processes such as injection / calcium ion coagulation. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This invention aims to solve the technical problems existing in the prior art. Therefore, this invention provides a safe, healthy, easy-to-use, and efficient phosphate-free dry powder marinade for meat, its preparation method, marinating method, and application.

[0006] The technical solution adopted by this invention to solve its technical problem is:

[0007] In a first aspect, a phosphate-free dry meat marinade is provided, which is made from the following ingredients in parts by weight:

[0008] The ingredients are: 28-36 parts sugar, 20-28 parts spices, 18-22 parts salt, 13-17 parts starch, 5-7 parts monosodium glutamate, 1-3 parts disodium inosinate, 0.5-1.5 parts yeast extract, 0.15-0.25 parts food-grade protease, 0.15-0.25 parts acidulant, and 0.08-0.12 parts sodium alginate.

[0009] The edible sugar may be selected from one or a combination of sugars such as white sugar, glucose, sucrose, maltose, and trehalose, with white sugar being preferred.

[0010] The starch can be edible starch or modified starch, preferably corn starch.

[0011] The food-grade protease may be papain or / and bromelain, with papain being preferred.

[0012] In some optional embodiments, the spices include paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, ginger powder, and thyme, with the following weight ratios:

[0013] The ratio of paprika: garlic powder: onion powder: black pepper: ginger powder: thyme is 9:1:1:0.125:0.5:0.125.

[0014] In some alternative embodiments, the dry powder marinade is made from the following ingredients in parts by weight:

[0015] 32 parts white sugar, 20 parts salt, 18 parts sweet paprika powder, 6 parts monosodium glutamate, 2 parts disodium inosinate, 2 parts garlic powder, 2 parts onion powder, 15 parts corn starch, 1 part yeast extract, 0.2 parts papain, 0.25 parts black pepper, 1 part ginger powder, 0.25 parts thyme, 0.2 parts citric acid, and 0.1 parts sodium alginate.

[0016] Secondly, a method for preparing the aforementioned phosphate-free dry meat marinade powder includes the following steps:

[0017] S1. Raw material preparation: Weigh each raw material according to the proportions;

[0018] S2. Premixing: Mix starch, yeast extract and sodium alginate in a propeller mixer or trough mixer for 3-5 minutes to obtain premixed powder A.

[0019] S3. General mixing: Add premixed powder A to the remaining raw materials for mixing. The mixing equipment is a three-dimensional motion mixer, a V-type mixer or an equivalent mixing equipment. The mixing speed is 15~25 rpm and the mixing time is 10~20 minutes to obtain dry powder marinade.

[0020] Thirdly, a method for marinating meat using the aforementioned phosphate-free dry meat powder marinade is provided, wherein the amount of the marinade used is 5% to 8% of the meat mass, and the marinating method is as follows:

[0021] The marinade is prepared by mixing the marinade with water to form a marinade solution for soaking, or the marinade is directly mixed with meat and water and left to stand. The marinating temperature is 2~6℃ and the marinating time is 0.5~2 hours.

[0022] In some optional embodiments, when immersion marinating is used, the mass concentration of the marinade in the marinating solution is 5% to 8%; when dry mixing and static marinating is used, the amount of water added is 20% to 40% of the meat mass.

[0023] Fourthly, the application of the aforementioned phosphate-free dry meat marinade in the preparation of pre-seasoned meat products is provided. The meat sample and the marinade are placed together in a tumbling device and tumbled at 10-20 rpm for 10-20 minutes, and then left to stand at 2-6°C until the total marinating time reaches 0.5-2 hours.

[0024] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are:

[0025] 1. This invention does not add phosphate-based water-retaining agents such as sodium tripolyphosphate or sodium pyrophosphate. The components used are food ingredients and / or food additives permitted for use in the food industry, aligning with clean labeling and health trends. It introduces yeast extract into a phosphate-free functional system centered on trace amounts of food-grade protease and sodium alginate. Through specific dry powder compounding technology, the three components achieve a synergistic effect. The yeast extract not only contributes rich natural flavor, but its nucleotides and small peptides also assist in meat conditioning, mutually promoting the tenderizing effect of protease and the water-retaining effect of polysaccharide gelation. This achieves or approaches the effects of traditional phosphate-containing marinades or complex liquid processing techniques within a very short marinating time.

[0026] 2. The marinade of this invention can penetrate and act on meat in a very short time (usually 0.5 to 2 hours), achieving rapid tenderization and water retention. The marinating efficiency is much higher than that of traditional processes (usually requiring 4 to 12 hours).

[0027] 3. This invention employs a two-step process of "premixing + total mixing," effectively solving the technical challenge of uneven distribution of trace functional components (especially sodium alginate) in large quantities of powder, ensuring batch-to-batch stability and functional consistency. This method is simple to operate, highly efficient, and suitable for large-scale production.

[0028] 4. The marinade of the present invention is in the form of a dry powder, which is chemically stable, easy to store and transport, and convenient to use. Detailed Implementation

[0029] It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative of the invention and are not intended to limit the invention.

[0030] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present invention, and not all of them. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0031] Furthermore, the technical solutions of the various embodiments can be combined with each other, but only if they are feasible for those skilled in the art. If the combination of technical solutions is contradictory or cannot be implemented, it should be considered that such combination of technical solutions does not exist and is not within the scope of protection claimed by this invention.

[0032] Example 1

[0033] Weigh the ingredients according to the following proportions: 32 kg white sugar, 20 kg salt, 18 kg sweet paprika powder, 6 kg monosodium glutamate, 2 kg disodium inosinate, 2 kg garlic powder, 2 kg onion powder, 15 kg corn starch, 1 kg yeast extract, 0.2 kg papain, 0.25 kg black pepper, 1 kg ginger powder, 0.25 kg thyme, 0.2 kg citric acid, and 0.1 kg sodium alginate.

[0034] The preparation process is as follows:

[0035] S1. Weigh 15 kg of corn starch, 1 kg of yeast extract, and 0.1 kg of sodium alginate and put them into a trough mixer. Mix at 20 rpm for 5 minutes to obtain a uniform premixed powder A.

[0036] S2. Add premixed powder A and all other remaining ingredients (sugar, salt, pepper powder, etc.) into a three-dimensional motion mixer and mix for 12 minutes at a speed of 20 rpm under ambient temperature of 25°C and relative humidity of less than 50%.

[0037] S3. Discharge the material, and after passing inspection, package it to obtain the phosphate-free dry meat marinade product of this invention.

[0038] Example 2

[0039] Weigh the ingredients according to the following proportions: 30 kg white sugar, 19 kg salt, 17 kg sweet paprika powder, 5.5 kg monosodium glutamate, 1.5 kg disodium inosinate, 1.5 kg garlic powder, 2.5 kg onion powder, 14 kg corn starch, 0.8 kg yeast extract, 0.18 kg papain, 0.22 kg black pepper, 0.9 kg ginger powder, 0.22 kg thyme, 0.18 kg citric acid, and 0.09 kg sodium alginate.

[0040] The preparation process is the same as in Example 1, except that the premixing time is 5 minutes and the total mixing time is 17 minutes.

[0041] Comparative Example 1

[0042] Referring to the formulation and process of Example 1, but replacing the yeast extract, papain and sodium alginate with an equal weight of a complex phosphate, which is composed of sodium tripolyphosphate, sodium pyrophosphate and sodium hexametaphosphate, with the weight ratio of each component being: sodium tripolyphosphate: sodium pyrophosphate: sodium hexametaphosphate = 2:2:1.

[0043] Comparative Example 2

[0044] The formula and process of Example 1 were followed, but only 1 kg of yeast extract was added, and sodium alginate and papain were not added.

[0045] Comparative Example 3

[0046] The formulation and process of Example 1 were followed, but only 0.2 kg of papain and 0.1 kg of sodium alginate were added, and yeast extract was not added.

[0047] Comparative Example 4

[0048] Referring to the formula of Example 1, without preparing dry powder marinade, and referring to the process of CN201811340980.4, prepare 1.5% sodium alginate solution and 0.12% papain solution (both based on meat weight). Spray the meat sample with sodium alginate solution first, then inject papain solution, and add 0.2% calcium chloride (based on meat weight), and treat at 4°C for 2 hours.

[0049] Comparative Example 5

[0050] The formulation and process of Example 1 are used, but without the addition of yeast extract, sodium alginate and papain.

[0051] The marinades prepared in Examples 1, 2, and Comparative Examples 1-5 were used to marinate meat. The marinating steps are as follows:

[0052] (a) Selection and pretreatment of meat samples

[0053] To verify the applicability and tenderizing / moisturizing effect of the phosphate-free dry powder marinade of this invention on different muscle types, two representative meat samples were selected for verification: Category A white meat: chicken wings; Category B red meat: pork tenderloin.

[0054] All meat samples were selected from the same batch of fresh raw materials and transported and temporarily stored at 0~4℃. Before the test, obvious fascia and visible fat were removed and the meat was cut into pieces / strips with a thickness of 15~25mm and a single piece weight of (50~120)g according to uniform specifications (chicken wings were directly used from the middle section of the wing) to reduce the impact of sample size differences on water retention and texture testing. Each treatment group had no less than 3 parallel samples.

[0055] (II) Preparation of pickling solution and pickling method

[0056] The marinades obtained in Examples 1, 2, and Comparative Examples 1-5 were used to marinate different meat samples. Dry-mixing and static marinating was preferred to verify the applicability of the dry powder marinade in a "low-water direct mixing" scenario. The marinade was added at a ratio of 5%-8% of the meat sample mass, and an additional 20%-40% of the meat sample mass of water was added. After mixing evenly, the mixture was allowed to stand at 2-6°C for 30-120 minutes.

[0057] Preferably, the ratio of marinade to meat weight is 6:100; the ratio of water to meat weight is 3:10; and the marinating time is 1 hour.

[0058] Preferably, to improve the uniformity of marinade penetration in red meat, the sample undergoes low-intensity mechanical assisted treatment at the beginning of marinating: the meat sample and marinade are placed together in a tumbling device and tumbled at 10-20 rpm for 10-20 minutes, then left to stand at 2-6°C until the total marinating time reaches 1 hour. This treatment is used to simulate the short-term flavor absorption and tissue expansion process commonly found in industrial pre-treated meat products.

[0059] Alternatively, immersion marinating can be used. Prepare the marinade by mixing marinade and water in a ratio of (5~8):100. Stir until uniform and without obvious clumping, then pre-cool at 2~6℃ for later use. Then, immerse the meat sample in the marinade at a ratio of 1:1 (by weight) to completely submerge it.

[0060] (III) Cooking conditions

[0061] After marinating, the meat samples were removed, and the surface liquid was drained (without squeezing the meat). The quality after marinating was recorded. The meat was then cooked in an air fryer: white meat (chicken wings) was cooked at 180℃ for 20 minutes, turning halfway through; red meat (pork tenderloin slices) was cooked at 180℃ for 5 minutes. Afterward, the samples were cooled to room temperature, dried, and the quality after cooking was recorded. The above-mentioned final cooking temperatures were used to standardize the degree of cooking for both white and red meat samples, reducing deviations in water loss and shear force caused by differences in cooking degree.

[0062] (iv) Test indicators and calculation methods

[0063] 1. Marinating absorption rate / weight gain rate (%): Calculated based on the difference in meat sample weight before and after marinating, used to characterize the absorption of marinating liquid and the water-binding capacity of the system.

[0064] 2. Cooking loss rate (%): Calculated based on the quality difference before and after cooking, and used as the core water retention indicator.

[0065] 3. Sensory evaluation (juiciness / tenderness, 10-point scale): 10 trained evaluators will score the juiciness, tenderness, and overall flavor.

[0066] (v) Presentation of Results

[0067] To clearly demonstrate the differences between "white meat" and "red meat" samples, the test results were summarized separately according to meat sample type. The specific test results are shown below:

[0068]

[0069] Conclusion: For white meat, the cooking loss rate of Example 1 was reduced from 31.38% with traditional phosphate-containing marinades to 27.64%, while the juiciness score increased from 7.7 to 9.0. This indicates that, without relying on compound phosphates, the formulation of this invention can still achieve better water retention and improved eating quality through system structure regulation. Simultaneously, the marinating absorption rate of Example 1 increased from 4.21% with traditional phosphate-containing marinades to 4.86%, indicating that this phosphate-free system can achieve more sufficient absorption and effective binding of the marinating liquid even in short-term marinating stages, reducing water loss during cooking and improving the fullness of the flavor from the source. Furthermore, compared with the blank control (Comparative Example 5), Example 1 still reduced the cooking loss rate from 33.92% to 27.64% and increased the juiciness from 6.3 to 9.0, demonstrating the substantial gain of the key functional system of this invention (i.e., a phosphate-free functional system with yeast extract + trace amounts of papain + sodium alginate as its core) compared to the "base marinating system".

[0070]

[0071] Conclusion: For white meat, the juiciness score of Example 1 increased from 7.40 (conventional phosphorus-containing marinade) to 8.70, and the marinating absorption rate was essentially the same as that of the phosphorus-containing group (29.04% vs 28.78%). Furthermore, compared to the blank control (Comparative Example 5), Example 1 reduced the cooking loss rate from 22.09% to 18.81% and increased juiciness from 5.45 to 8.70.

[0072] Therefore, the phosphate-free dry powder marinade of the present invention has good applicability and stable quality improvement effect on different muscle types. It can significantly optimize sensory quality while maintaining process operability, effectively replace traditional phosphorus-containing marinades, and show advantages in key edible quality indicators.

[0073]

[0074] Conclusion: For red meat, Example 1 showed a lower cooking loss rate (24.88% vs 27.70%) and higher juiciness (7.1 vs 6.2) than the phosphorus-containing comparison ratio at 30 min. At 60 min, the juiciness further increased to 8.3 and the cooking loss rate decreased to 22.89%. At 120 min, the cooking loss rate continued to decrease to 21.24%. Overall, it shows that the system of the present invention can form a stable quality improvement effect in a short time.

[0075]

[0076] Conclusion: For white meat, the juiciness of Example 1 increased from 7.3 (30 min) to 8.6 (120 min) with the extension of marinating time, and was higher than that of the phosphorus-containing comparative ratio (6.6~7.2) at all time points, indicating that the formulation of the present invention has a more significant and sustained improvement in juiciness under short marinating conditions.

[0077] Therefore, the effects of different curing times on meat quality show that within the short curing window of 30-120 min, the curing absorption rate of meat samples generally increases with time, the cooking loss rate generally decreases, and the juiciness score increases simultaneously, reflecting the time dependence of curing solution penetration and water-binding effect of the system.

[0078] Further comparison of different functional component combinations shows that when only yeast extract (Comparative Example 2) or only papain + sodium alginate (Comparative Example 3) is added, taking white meat (Table 1) as an example, the cooking loss rate increases to 36.75% and 32.52% respectively, and the juiciness score is only 5.7 and 6.9, which are significantly lower than Example 1 (27.64% and 9.0). Comparative Example 3 showed limited improvement compared to the blank control (33.92%, 6.3%), indicating that relying solely on flavor enhancement or solely on the structural regulation of "enzyme + gum" is insufficient to simultaneously achieve both water retention and full-bodied texture. Example 1, by introducing yeast extract into a phosphate-free functional system centered on papain and sodium alginate, not only provides natural umami and flavor roundness but also couples with the gentle tenderizing effect of papain and the water-binding effect of the polysaccharide network of sodium alginate. This synergistic effect of liquid-phase absorption, protein structure conditioning, and moisture retention during the cooking stage results in lower cooking water loss, higher juiciness, and more stable overall quality performance under short-term pickling conditions. Therefore, it can be concluded that this invention can effectively replace traditional phosphate-containing pickling materials under phosphate-free conditions, achieving the technical effect of "short-term, high-efficiency tenderizing and long-term water retention."

[0079] It is worth noting that "phosphate-free" in the above embodiments means that no food-grade phosphate water-retaining agents such as sodium tripolyphosphate, sodium pyrophosphate, or sodium hexametaphosphate are added to the marinade; trace amounts of phosphorus introduced from the raw materials are not included in this limitation.

[0080] The above description is merely an embodiment of the present invention and does not limit the patent scope of the present invention. Any equivalent structural or procedural transformations made based on the content of the present invention specification, or direct or indirect applications in other related technical fields, are similarly included within the patent protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A phosphate-free dry meat marinade, characterized in that: Made from the following parts by weight of raw materials: 28-36 parts sugar, 20-28 parts spices, 18-22 parts salt, 13-17 parts starch, 5-7 parts monosodium glutamate, 1-3 parts disodium inosinate, 0.5-1.5 parts yeast extract, 0.15-0.25 parts food-grade protease, 0.15-0.25 parts acidulant, and 0.08-0.12 parts sodium alginate.

2. The phosphate-free dry meat marinade according to claim 1, characterized in that: The spices include paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, ginger powder, and thyme, with the following weight ratios: The ratio of paprika: garlic powder: onion powder: black pepper: ginger powder: thyme is 9:1:1:0.125:0.5:0.

125.

3. The phosphate-free dry meat marinade according to claim 2, characterized in that: The food-grade proteases include papain and / or bromelain.

4. The phosphate-free dry meat marinade according to claim 3, characterized in that: Made from the following parts by weight of raw materials: 32 parts white sugar, 20 parts salt, 18 parts sweet paprika powder, 6 parts monosodium glutamate, 2 parts disodium inosinate, 2 parts garlic powder, 2 parts onion powder, 15 parts corn starch, 1 part yeast extract, 0.2 parts papain, 0.25 parts black pepper, 1 part ginger powder, 0.25 parts thyme, 0.2 parts citric acid, and 0.1 parts sodium alginate.

5. A method for preparing a phosphate-free dry meat marinade as described in any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: Includes the following steps: S1. Raw material preparation: Weigh each raw material according to the proportions; S2. Premixing: Mix starch, yeast extract and sodium alginate to obtain premixed powder A; S3. General mixing: Add premixed powder A to the remaining raw materials and mix until the mixture is uniform to obtain dry powder marinade.

6. The preparation method according to claim 5, characterized in that: The mixing in step S2 is carried out in a propeller mixer or a trough mixer for 3 to 5 minutes.

7. The preparation method according to claim 5, characterized in that: The mixing in step S3 is carried out in a three-dimensional motion mixer, a V-type mixer, or an equivalent mixing device, with a mixing speed of 15-25 rpm and a mixing time of 10-20 minutes.

8. A method for marinating meat using the phosphate-free dry meat powder marinade as described in any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The amount of the marinade used is 5% to 8% of the meat's weight, and the marinating method is as follows: The marinade is prepared by mixing the marinade with water to form a marinade solution for soaking, or the marinade is directly mixed with meat and water and left to stand. The marinating temperature is 2~6℃ and the marinating time is 0.5~2 hours.

9. The pickling method according to claim 5, characterized in that: When using immersion marinating, the mass concentration of the marinade in the marinating solution is 5% to 8%; when using dry mixing and static marinating, the amount of water added is 20% to 40% of the meat mass.

10. The application of the phosphate-free dry meat marinade as described in any one of claims 1 to 4 in the preparation of pre-treated meat products, characterized in that: Place the meat sample and marinade together in a tumbling machine and tumble at 10-20 rpm for 10-20 minutes. Then let it stand at 2-6℃ until the total marinating time reaches 0.5-2 hours.

Images