Purac welcomes lactate approval in EU for fresh minced meat
24 January 2011. Back
to overview
The recent update of Directive 95/2/EC approves the use
of sodium and potassium salts of both lactate and acetate in
pre-packed preparations of fresh minced meat on the European
market. Both ingredients are effective to extend shelf life and to
prevent color changes in minced meat.
Fresh minced meat is specifically subject to spoilage bacteria
and color changes. The amendment permits meat producers to add
lactate and acetate, which enables shelf-life extension. Salts of
lactate and acetate are known to battle micro-organisms, stimulate
color retention and have a favorable pH.
A recent published study in Food Chemistry (Rodriguez 2010)
investigated the underlying mechanism of lactate color
stabilization in meat. The research looked at the mechanism
responsible for color retention in presence and absence of lactate.
The study confirmed that lactate acts as a substrate for the
metmyoglobin reducing process and improves color
stability.
Category Manager Meat Preservation at Purac, Lonneke van Dijk:
"This change in legislation allows fresh minced meat producers
to develop innovative products while reaching acceptable levels of
shelf life. Purac's PURASAL®
HiPure P Plus and Opti.Form®
PPA Plus are ideal for maintaining color and increasing the
shelf life of various fresh minced meat products. Both Purac
products maintain microbial stability, are pH-neutral and
sodium-free, making them an excellent choice for processing into
low sodium food products. Solutions like these make Purac leading
in food and meat preservation".