Encapsulated Cured‐Meat Pigment and its Application in Nitrite‐Free Ham

摘要

ABSTRACTThe preformed cured‐meat pigment dinitrosyl ferrohemochrome (DNFH) is an essential element of our nitrite‐free meat‐curing system. It undergoes rapid oxidation in the presence of air and light and must therefore be stabilized. DNFH was microencapsulated by a spray‐drying technique. Suitable encapsulating materials were combinations of β‐cy‐clodextrin and the modified starches N‐Lok or maltodextrin. β‐cyclodextrin was an essential constituent of the coating. The encapsulated pigment remained stable for more than 1 yr. It was applied to ham muscle to produce a nitrite‐free ham indistinguishable from its nitrite‐cured counterpart. The pigment was sparingly soluble. The problem of DNFH dispersion was, for the most part, overcome with a judicious selectio