Improve Meat Performance With Potato Starch

In addition to traditional native starches, processed meat products often contain modified starches to bind moisture, provide heat and shear stability, extend shelf life, and improve freeze/ thaw stability and texture. Potato starches, such as Eliane™ VE 420, a new, unique amylopectin potato starch from AVEBE, have always been considered an ideal product for meats, because of their low gelatinization temperature, high viscosity and excellent moisture-binding capacity.

The transparent, neutral-tasting starch does not interfere with a product’s flavor. The bland potato flavor even allows the delicate notes of poultry products to come through. This starch also exhibits higher salt tolerance than other potato starches, resulting in rapid water binding and increased moisture retention at 60ºF to 70ºF, a temperature range at which meat proteins start losing water. As a result, starch can be reduced by 25% in emulsified meat products, such as frankfurters, and formed meat products, such as hamburgers and chicken nuggets, without affecting the texture or appearance of the product.

In order to evaluate the effectiveness of Eliane VE 420, the company conducted a study of yield performance and purge reduction of whole-muscle, injected, vacuum-tumbled ham. The trial was based on a 55% pump, and the starch level in the finished ham was 2%. The ham was bagged after tumbling, allowed to cure overnight and was cooked to an internal temperature of 160ºF. The ham was then refrigerated for 30 days.

Compared to the current market standard, Eliane VE 420 provided better water retention during storage, extending shelf life and improving visual appeal. The product also outperformed the current market standard in reduced purge and higher yields.

Suitable for use in a range of processed meat products, the line of amylopectin potato starches also includes Eliane 100, a native starch. 

AVEBE FOOD 
P.O. Box 15 
Veendam, 9640 AA 
The Netherlands 
Phone: 609/520-1400 
E-mail: [email protected] 
Website: www.avebe.com