Effects of Sodium Lactate on the Shelf Life and Sensory Characteristics of Cig Kofte - A Turkish Traditional Raw Meatball

Abstract

Cig kofte is a meat product consumed traditionally almost everywhere in Turkey. It has a poor hygienic quality and can contain several pathogenic bacteria while no heating or cooking process is applied during any stage of manufacturing. The effects of sodium lactate on the microbiological and sensorial quality of cig kofte were investigated during display life (0, 3, 6, 12, 24 h) in order to determine the shelf life of the product. For this purpose, cig kofte samples were manufactured with various concentration of sodium lactate (1%, 2%, 3% and 4% NaL) and examined either in ambient (20C ± 2) or refrigerator (4C ± 2) storage. As a result, the hygienic quality and shelf life of cig kofte were somewhat improved; microbial growth was delayed dependent on NaL concentration used, and shelf life was increased up to 24 h. Although 1% and 2% NaL received appreciation by the panelists, an undesired loss of color and drying during storage may affect consumer's acceptance. Practical Application Cig kofte is a meat product that has a poor hygienic quality, while no heating or cooking process is applied during any stage of manufacturing. Since heat treatment is inappropriate for the raw characteristics of the product, it was aimed to prolong the shelf life of cig kofte by the addition of sodium lactate, which is used as aqueous form in food industry, in its recipe in company with cold water, which is a main ingredient added during the kneading process. Sodium lactate provides retardation on the microbial growth of cig kofte dependent on concentration used and increases the shelf life up to 24 h. Appearance is the first quality attribute evaluated by consumers when choosing a food product, so 1% and 2% NaL are more favorable by the panelists.

Antioxidant and Textural Properties and Aroma and Fatty Acid Profile of Meatless Cig Kofte, a Special Food in Turkey, Produced by Industrial Processing

“…It was reported that the main loss of moisture may probably results from bulgur (boiled wheat) used in manufacturing of cig kofte, which absorbs aqueous substances in the product (Bingol et al . ). Adhesiveness values of the samples varied from −8.60 to −24.39 g s. As can be seen, S4 sample had the lowest adhesiveness ( P < 0.05) and hardness ( P < 0.05) values, respectively.…”

Effect of Water Activity, Yuza (&lt;i&gt;Citrus junos&lt;/i&gt; Sieb. ex Tanaka) Powder and the Mixture of Sodium Lactate and Sodium Acetate on Quality and Safety in Beef Jerky

“…A. flavus in jerky has also been controlled by vacuum packaging [10], radiation [10] and flexible thin-layer plasma [4]. The addition of sodium lactate, followed by storage at 4˚C also inhibited the growth of mold and yeast in traditional meat products in Turkey [26]. The addition of 2% sodium lactate to vacuum packaged sausage inhibited the growth of mold and yeast for eight days at 8˚C [27].…”

Effect of nisin-EDTA combinations and modified atmosphere packaging on the survival ofSalmonellaenteritidis in Turkish type meatballs

“…Meatballs are widely consumed ready-to-cook meat products due to their favourable tastes and flavours (Anar, 2010;Bingol, Colak, Cetin, & Hampikyan, 2012). Turkish type meatballs (kofte) are produced mainly using ground meat (beef and/or lamb), fat (beef and/or lamb tallow fat), various spices and/or moistened bread.…”

“…The microbiological quality of meat and other ingredients, especially spices, the hygienic conditions during manufacturing and the type of packaging and storage conditions affect the shelf-life of meatballs (Anar, 2010;Bingol et al, 2012). As the products contain ground meat and spices, they can be contaminated with several saprophyte and pathogenic bacteria which results in poor hygienic quality and safety of the product.…”