Meat Massaging: The Effects of Salt, Phosphate and Massaging on the Presence of Specific Skeletal Muscle Proteins in the Exudate of a Sectioned and Formed Ham

Samples of the tacky exudate formed on meat surfaces as a result of salt, phosphate and massaging were removed at intervals during 24 hr of massaging, and analyzed by SDS polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis to determine the relative percentage of various myofibrillar proteins present. The results showed that phosphate exerts the greatest effect on the relative percentages of actin, myosin and tropomyosin, and its action occurs primarily on meat surfaces before the massaging process is initiated. The massaging process involves great degrees of tissue destruction at the cellular level which aids in the extraction, solubilization, concentration and distribution of the major myofibrillar proteins on surfaces and in interiors of muscle chunks, which is beneficial in the improvement of binding.