Effect of Succinate Sodium on the Metmyoglobin Reduction and Color Stability of Beef Patties

In two experiments, the effect of succinate sodium on the metmyoglobin (MetMb) reduction and color stability of beef patties was investigated. In experiment 1, the ground-beef strip loins (longissimus dorsi muscle) were blended with different concentrations of succinate. Enhancing patties with 6 mM succinate significantly increased the MetMb-reducing ability and subsequent color stability during storage. In experiment 2, MetMb and different concentrations of succinate, lactate, and reduced nicotinamide adenine dinuclectide (NADH) were incubated with mitochondria, and their effect on meat MetMb reduction was investigated. Increasing the concentration of NADH and lactate increased MetMb reduction, but only succinate of 16 and 24 mM significantly decreased the relative MetMb percentage compared to other systems. This indicate that there are no significant differences between aerobic and anaerobic MetMb-reducing activities. In comparison to the systems of NADH-MetMb reduction (including the systems of lactate-MetMb reduction), the succinate-MetMb reduction systems are more stable and less affected by oxygen. More identification work is needed to obtain the more complete pathways on MetMb reduction.