Aug 19 2010 --- Meat processors are often surprised when they experience the high sensory quality of meat products where phosphate is replaced by natural functional milk proteins from Arla Foods Ingredients.

In ham and sausage products, the proteins match the water-binding properties of phosphate perfectly, creating a tender, juicy texture. Syneresis and cooking loss are minimal – and flavour improved.

“Phosphate can give a slightly metallic off-taste. This is eliminated using our functional milk proteins, which also have a meat-like structure,” says Grethe Kjærsgaard Mikkelsen, meat group application manager.

Natural image
Phosphate replacement is a major focus area for Arla Foods Ingredients as meat processors look to give their products a more natural image. The meat team has many functional milk protein fractions available to tailor phosphate-free solutions to product and processing needs. ”Unlike phosphate, our proteins are not subject to dosage restrictions. This gives extra flexibility when developing formulations that live up to our customers’ expectations,” states Ulrik Bank Pedersen, technical sales manager.

From premium to economy
Arla Foods Ingredients develops phosphate-free solutions for meats along the whole market scale. In premium meat products, where the required yield increase is typically a modest 5-30%, the proteins are important to minimise syneresis. Economy products, such as pizza ham, include functional milk proteins to secure stable water-binding for a yield increase of 80-100%. Many customers have already tested phosphate-free solutions in the Arla Foods Ingredients’ meat application lab. “There’s no doubt that our solutions tend to exceed their expectations,” says a confident Mikkelsen.