Results: QBoost Pork Hydro-P Premium improves texture and sliceability of your pork product

When QBoost Pork Hydro-P Premium is added to a pork product, such as cooked ham, it works synergistically in the meat matrix, which, in turn, helps improve texture, sliceability, and overall product yield. Learn more about what Hydro-P Premium is in this blog

Here we explore a little more specifically the texture and slicing benefits that Hydro-P Premium imparts in a pork meat product.

QBoost Pork Hydro-P Premium improves texture

Using hydrolyzed pork collagen, and specifically Hydro-P Premium, in your ham or bacon product yields a higher-quality texture, particularly compared to a pork product that doesn’t add any protein, or one that uses carrageenan.

More specifically, because Hydro-P Premium works synergistically in the meat matrix, it helps improve the bite of the meat product, and getting the appropriate bite texture is key for a satisfactory consumer eating experience. In some applications, Hydro-P Premium gives the pork product a meatier taste.

Enhanced sliceability and thinner meat slices when Hydro-P Premium is added

Another advantage of the improved, firmer texture is better sliceability. Currently, there is a growing trend toward thinner slices of ham, bacon, and other pork meat products, and adding Hydro-P Premium helps meet consumer expectation of nicely cut and firm slices of ham while also preserving and extending raw materials for the producer.

In tests performed by Sonac, adding QBoost Pork Hydro-P Premium to ham made it so the ham could be sliced into thinner pieces—compared to a ham made without any added protein. It’s hypothesized that these results are because adding Hydro-P Premium works in the meat matrix to create a firmer pork product, and that firmness allows the meat to be sliced thinner while remaining intact (e.g., less breakage) when sliced.

Better slicing and cooking yield equals improved cost

In addition to improving texture and thus slicing yield, Hydro-P Premium also helps to improve the cooking yield. To test this benefit, Sonac ran a series of trials of ham prepared without and with the Hydro-P Premium. What we found was a 2% yield improvement (on average) in cooked hams with Hydro-P Premium added (specifically with an injection level of 50%).

Below are the results of the trials.

Other Benefits of Hydro-P Premium

Higher protein content with Hydro-P Premium

One of the leading reasons why adding QBoost Pork Hydro-P Premium to your meat product improves texture and enhances sliceability, is because animal-own protein works best in the meat matrix. Hydro-P Premium is 90% protein. This boost in protein also gives meat products a better nutrition profile, and that’s something consumers are seeking.

Hydro-P Premium creates a clearer, cleaner label

Hydro-P Premium is 100% natural. This ingredient has been found to be a great substitute for ingredients that are declared under the label “natural aroma,” or carrageenan. Compared to carrageenan, the base of Hydro-P Premium is different, and its ingredient attributes differ slightly, but the overall product quality is improved with QBoost Pork Hydro-P premium. When you use Hydro-P Premium in a pork product, you can label it as “bouillon,” or “broth” or “stock” in the ingredient list. This increases visibility for consumers because it’s a recognizable and pronounceable ingredient.

Learn more about where and why to use Hydro-P Premium and download our whitepaper "The benefits of hydrolyzed collagen for pork meat" here.

Or, if you’d like to try a sample of Hydro-P Premium in your pork product, connect with one of our product specialists here.