Abstract
This study evaluated tetrabutyryl vitamin C ester (TVCE), a fat-soluble antioxidant, for preserving pork freshness (4 °C for 10 days). The total colony count, color difference, shearing force, juice loss rate, cooking loss rate, pH, thiobarbituric acid, volatile basic nitrogen, and texture of the pork were analyzed. The results showed that deterioration became significant after day 4. However, 1 % TVCE treatment significantly slowed this process, extending the shelf life of pork to 6-8 days. Key results on day 6 demonstrated TVCE's effectiveness: the treated group had a lower total colony count (5.72 ± 0.22 lgCFU/g vs. control 6.50 ± 0.15 lgCFU/g) and thiobarbituric acid value (0.62 ± 0.01 mg Malondialdehyde/kg vs. control 1.13 ± 0.06 mg Malondialdehyde/kg), indicating reduced microbial growth and lipid oxidation. TVCE inhibited surface microorganism growth, slowed protein/fat oxidation, and reduced water loss, maintaining pork quality. This offers a novel pork preservation strategy and expands TVCE application potential.