Lipid Oxidation in Cooked Pork as Affected by Vitamin E, Cooking and Storage Conditions

The individual and combined effects of muscle vitamin E level, cooking conditions (duration, temperature and rate) and packaging on lipid oxidation in refrigerated cooked pork were examined. Oxidative stability following cooking was higher in pork with a higher vitamin E level (p<0.01), cooked at a lower cooking temperature (p<0.01), cooked for a shorter time (p<0.01), cooked at a faster cooking rate (p<0.05) or stored in vacuum packs (p<0.01). Significant two‐way and three‐way interactions were observed between the effects of muscle vitamin E level, cooking conditions and packaging on lipid oxidation. Adopting more than one of these approaches to minimize lipid oxidation was more effective than adopting a single approach.