Abstract
The aim of this study was to identify the optimal and superior type of natural calcium for replacing phosphate in cooked ground pork products. To achieve this, 0.5% eggshell calcium (ESC), oyster shell calcium (OSC), marine algae calcium (MAC), or milk calcium (MC) was added to ground pork meat products. The effect of this substitution was studied by comparing the substituted products with products containing 0.3% phosphate blend (control). ESC was considered an ideal phosphate replacer for minimizing the cooking loss, which likely resulted from the increase in the pH of the product. Among the other natural calcium types, OSC treatment did not cause a significant increase in pH, but it lowered the cooking loss. CIE L* values were higher (p<0.05) in products treated with OSC or MC than the control, and lowest (p<0.05) in the products with ESC. However, products with ESC had higher (p<0.05) CIE a* and CIE b* values than the control and products treated with other powders. Compared to the control, products treated with ESC and OSC had similar substitution effects on the textural properties of the products. Therefore, the results of this study suggested that the combined use of ESC and OSC could be a potentially effective method for replacing synthetic phosphate in ground pork products.