Effect of the addition of conventional additives and whey proteins concentrates on technological parameters, physicochemical properties, microstructure and sensory attributes of sous vide cooked beef muscles

Beef muscles submitted to four enhancement treatments (1.88% whey protein concentrate (WPC) + 1.25% sodium chloride (NaCl); 1.88% modified whey protein concentrate (MWPC) + 1.25%NaCl; 0.25% sodium tripolyphosphate (STPP) + 1.25%NaCl; 1.25%NaCl) and a control treatment (non-injected muscles) were sous vide cooked. Muscles with STPP + NaCl presented a significantly higher total yield (106.5%) in comparison to those with WPC/MWPC + NaCl (94.7% and 92.9%, respectively), NaCl alone (84.8%) or controls (72.1%). Muscles with STPP + NaCl presented significantly lower shear force values than control ones; also, WPC/MWPC + NaCl added muscles presented similar values than those from the other treatments. After cooking, muscles with STPP + NaCl or WPC/MWPC + NaCl depicted compacted and uniform microstructures. Muscles with STPP + NaCl showed a pink colour, meanwhile other treatment muscles presented colours between pinkish-grey and grey-brown. STPP + NaCl added samples presented the highest values of global tenderness and juiciness. The addition of STPP + NaCl had a better performance than WPC/MWPC + NaCl. However, the addition of WPC/MWPC + NaCl improved total yield in comparison to NaCl added or control ones.