Colour and sarcoplasmic protein evaluation of pork following water bath and ohmic cooking

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of ohmic (OH) and waterbath (WB) cooking on colour attributes and sarcoplasmic changes of porcine longissimus dorsi muscle at the same endpoint temperatures (EPTs; range 10 degrees C-80 degrees C). The OH treatment was carried out at 10 V cm(-1), and the WB temperature at 85 degrees C. The colour parameters, deoxymyoglobin% (DeoMb) and metmyoglobin% (MetMb) of the OH-cooked meat were significantly lower (P<0.05) than those obtained by WE-cooking at the same EPTs (range 60 degrees C-80 degrees C). SOS-PAGE analysis showed that the meat treated with WE-cooking had a lower sarcoplasmic protein solubility (5.97 mg/g vs.14.89 mg/g, P<0.05) and fainter protein bands than that of OH-cooking thus, indicating paler colour, and lower water-holding capacity especially in WE-cooked meat at EPTs above 40 degrees C. Strong correlations among lightness, browness, metmyoglobin% and soluble proteins were observed in meat following OH-cooking. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.