Improved Oxidative Stability of Enhanced Pork Loins Using Red Perilla Extract

Enhanced meat is defined as fresh meat that has been minimally processed to improve quality and consistency. The present work investigated the quality of enhanced pork loins manufactured with the extract of red perilla leaves (ERP). ERP was prepared by the aqueous extraction of red perilla leaves followed by lyophilization. Enhanced pork loins were produced by injecting brine (15% v/w). The treatments consisted of a control (brine containing no ERP), ERP 0.2 (brine containing ERP at a concentration of 2 g/kg of pork loin), and ERP 0.4 (brine containing ERP at a concentration of 4 g/kg of pork loin). The enhanced pork loins were stored at 4°C for 7 d, and its quality parameters were investigated. Addition of ERP decreased the L*-value and increased the a*- and b*-values of enhanced pork loins compared to those of the control group at all storage intervals (p<0.05). A significantly lower pH than that of the control was found in ERP 0.4 after 7 d of storage. The malondialdehyde contents of the cooked pork loins were significantly lower in ERP 0.2 and ERP 0.4 than in those of the control after 4 and 7 d of storage (p<0.05). While ERP 0.4 received relatively low scores in taste, flavor, and overall acceptability of the cooked pork loins (p<0.05), no significant differences were found between the control and ERP 0.2. Enhanced pork loins can be produced using ERP to improve their oxidative stability.