Effects of Shiitake (Lentinus edodes P.) Mushroom Powder and Sodium Tripolyphosphate on Texture and Flavor of Pork Patties

Increasing consumer desire for functional food ingredients, including such PRODUCTS as shiitake mushroom (Lentinus edodes P.) powder (SM), demands that the sensory impact of such ingredients be tested in an appropriate food system. Pork patties are a common food in many Asian countries. Pork patties in this study were prepared with and without SM, an ingredient that is gaining popularity around the world. A lexicon for describing the texture and flavor of cooked pork patties, with and without 0.5% sodium tripolyphosphate (STP), a typical additive to meat, and with varying amounts of SM (0% to 6%) was developed by a highly trained panel to compare sensory properties for each type of patty. The attributes evaluated were juiciness, toughness, rubberiness, mealiness, pork identity (pork ID), meatiness, mushroom, onion, garlic, black pepper, heat/burn, soapy, chemical, animal hair, fatty, salty, sour, bitter, slick, and astringent. An addition of 0.5% STP produced more intense ratings for soapy, salty, sour, and astringent attributes. Without STP, patties containing shiitake mushroom powder had a more mealy consistency but more pork ID than they did with STP.