Reducing the sodium content in meat products:: The effect of the formulation in low-sodium ground meat patties

This study investigated the effect of formulation on quality characteristics of low-sodium ground meat patties. The variation in sodium content was achieved by varying the NaCl content. The formulation variables studied were sodium and fat content and the use of phosphate. The patties were made using 50% or 60% meat in the formulations. Formulation affected the perceived saltiness of ground meat patties. Fat and lean meat content affected perceived saltiness, but their effects were opposite. When the fat content was increased the perceived saltiness increased, but when the meat content increased the perceived saltiness decreased. However, the effect of fat content on perceived saltiness was less than the effect of meat content. The use of phosphate effectively decreased cooking loss, particularly of high-fat-low-sodium patties. The same firmness could be reached with lower sodium content when phosphate was used. (C) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.