The influence of the anticaking agent potassium ferrocyanide and salt on the oxidative stability of frozen minced pork meat

Abstract

The anticaking agent potassium ferrocyanide, K₄Fe(CN)₆, was found to affect lipid oxidation in frozen, minced pork meat both in ‘normal’ concentrations, when added together with food grade salt to yield 2 % NaCl in the product, and in ‘unrealistic’ high concentrations added separately or together with analytical grade salt. The level of K₄Fe(CN)₆ obtained from adding 2 % food grade salt accelerated the development of lipid hydroperoxides, but affected the development of TBARS to a lesser degree. High level of K₄Fe(CN)₆ seems to protect hydroperoxides from degradation to secondary lipid oxidation products measured as TBARS. The use of salt with the anticaking agent, K₄Fe(CN)₆, in meat processing should be reconsidered for each product since it may enhance lipid oxidation. A mechanism for mediation by the $\text{Fe(CN)}{}_6{}^{\mathrm{4-}}\text{Fe(CN)}{}_6{}^{\mathrm{3-}}$ redox couple of pigment-catalysed lipid oxidation is suggested, based on an observed correlation between oxymyoglobin oxidation (measured as tristimulus colorimetric parameter, a) and lipid oxidation (measured as TBARS) for the frozen pork patties.