Abstract:

This study investigated the effect of different polyphosphates on the tenderness and water-holding capacity of
beef tripe. An orthogonal array design involving 9 experiments of 4 variables at 3 levels was used to establish the optimal
combined treatment with three polyphosphates based on shear force, weight gain ratio and cooking loss for improved
tenderness and water-holding capacity of beef tripe. Results indicated that pyrophosphate had a significant effect on the
tenderness and weight gain ratio of beef tripe, and hexametaphosphate also had a significant effect on the tenderness and
cooking loss, but the effect of triphosphate and steeping time was not significant. The best results for tenderization of beef
tripe were achieved by 24 h steeping in an aqueous solution containing 0.4% pyrophosphate, 0.4% triphosphate and 0.3%
hexametaphosphate, while 36 h steeping in an aqueous solution containing 0.2% pyrophosphate, 0.2% triphosphate and 0.2%
hexametaphosphate provided the best water-holding capacity of beef tripe.

Key words: beef tripe, tenderness, water-holding capacity, polyphosphate