Effects of different marination conditions on quality, microbiological properties, and sensory characteristics of pork ham cooked by the sous-vide method

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of marinade under different conditions (temperature and vacuum) on pork ham cooked by the sous-vide method (61℃ and 98.81% vacuum for 45 min). Control group was non-marinade pork ham. The samples were marinated under 1 of 4 conditions: 4℃, 98.81% vacuum (treatment group T1); 4℃, atmospheric pressure (T2); 20℃, 98.81% vacuum (T3); and 20℃, atmospheric pressure (T4). The pH value was higher in the control (6.02) than in the treatment groups (4.30–4.42, p<0.001). Shear force was the lowest in the control: 18.14 N. Lightness and redness values were higher in the control (p<0.001). The chroma value significantly decreased from 12.74 to 7.55 with marinade (p<0.001). Total viable and coliform counts of raw meat were 84.6 and 3.67 Log CFU/g, respectively. After the marinade, the total viable count decreased to 3.00–14.67 Log CFU/g (p<0.001). Coliforms were not detected. After sous-vide cooking, no viable microorganisms were detected in any group. Treatment groups generally showed high scores on consumer preference. The marinade and sous-vide cooking had a positive effect on sensory characteristics. They provided safe conditions for sanitary evaluation. As a result, it appears that marinade at refrigeration temperature is better than that at room temperature.