Encapsulation of the Pre‐Formed Cooked Cured‐Meat Pigment

The pre‐formed cooked cured‐meat pigment (CCMP) was stabilized by storage under a nitric oxide atmosphere or microencapsulation in food‐grade carbohydrates. Amongst the wall materials tested, β‐cyclodextrin, N‐LOK, and Maltrin M‐250 served as the best encapsulating agents. Presence of gum acacia or a mixture of sodium tripolyphosphate, sodium acid pyrophosphate and ascorbyl palmitate at a 5% level in the wall material(s) improved the color of meats treated with the powdered cooked cured‐meat pigment (PCCMP). Some encapsulated pigments remained stable during an 18 month testing period under refrigeration. Spectral characteristics of PCCMP were similar to those of the freshly‐prepared pigment and color stability of PCCMP‐treated meats was similar to that of nitrite‐cured and CCMP‐treated products.