Individual and Interactive Effects of Aqueous Extracts of Three Natural Spices on Quality Preservation of Chilled Pork

Chilled pork loin was soaked in different concentrations of aqueous extracts of star anise,white pepper and cinnamon prepared by ultrasonic-assisted extraction and then stored at 0- 4 ℃ to evaluate their effect in meat preservation.Freshness assessment of stored pork was performed by measuring total bacterial count,total volatile basic nitrogen(1/TVB-N),drop loss and sensory evaluation scores. Aqueous extracts of star anise,white pepper and cinnamon at0.2,0.05 g/100 mL and 0.05 g/100 mL were all effective for preserving chilled pork. The results of optimization using one-factor-at-a-time and orthogonal array design method indicated that their respective extracts at 0.2,0.02 g/100 mL and 0.1 g/100 mL,when used together,provided a good combination of sensory evaluation scores and 1/TVB-N and hence may be considered as a good preservative for chilled pork.