A widely unknown fact: Enriching your meat product with hydrolyzed pork collagen can improve eating quality and sliceability

If you’re a meat processor, you know that the right texture is essential for a successful pork product. When it comes to texture, both sliceability and bite—also referred to as eating quality—are key components to texture. What often isn’t widely known, though, is that including hydrolyzed pork collagen, such as QBoost Pork Hydro-P Premium, enhances the texture of pork products, such as cooked (deli) hams or bacon.

Specifically, adding Hydro-P Premium, has been shown to help with the following:

• Firmer texture
• Easier, faster sliceability
• Thinner meat slices and less breakage
• Meatier, longer bite
• Enhanced umami flavor

Incorporating Hydro-P Premium enhances eating quality

When collagen peptides are present, the meat proteins will form a stronger protein network. This helps to increase the firmness of your meat product. That extra firmness translates to a meatier, more fibrous, bite for the eater that mimics protein compared to a pork product with additives like carrageenan that impart a gummier, shorter bite.

Additionally, in some applications, adding Hydro-P Premium boosts the savory flavor properties in a meat product as it adds an umami-enhancing property.

Adding Hydro-P Premium improves sliceability

That improved texture that Hydro-P Premium offers has another advantage: better sliceability. In tests performed by Sonac, adding Hydro-P Premium to pork products like cooked ham and bacon allowed those products to be sliced into thinner pieces. Compared to a pork product made without any added protein, or simply with carrageenan added, adding Hydro-P Premium yields a firmer pork product. That ideal texture is what contributes to the meat product being able to be sliced thinner while also breaking less.

And thinner slices are trending: consumers currently are seeking out thinner slices of pork products, such as ham, bacon, etc. Thus, using Hydro-P Premium helps meet consumer expectations.

The other benefits of using Hydro-P Premium

To learn more about the benefits of QBoost Pork Hydro-P Premium, download our whitepaper "The benefits of hydrolyzed collagen for pork meat".

Or, if you’re interested in securing a sample of Hydro-P Premium, connect with one of our product specialists here to secure yourself a sample.