Insights into low-temperature strategies for preserving cooked pork quality in ready-to-eat meat products through processing and reheating studies

Abstract

This study investigated how low-temperature storage and reheating affect the quality of ready-to-eat (RTE) pork dishes. Cooked lean and fatty pork were stored via refrigeration (4 °C), freezing (−18 °C, −35 °C), or liquid nitrogen (LN) rapid chilling, then reheated. Refrigeration preserved texture but increased cooking loss (3.15 % lean, 4.2 % fatty) and peroxide values (PV), with PV rising 3.5-fold in lean and 1.4-fold in fatty meat. Freezing at −35 °C minimized lipid oxidation (TBARS 0.16 mg MDA/kg in fatty pork) but raised reheating loss (38.2 % lean, 44.5 % fatty). LN caused the most damage—hardness dropped 52.4 %, fatty meat lost 51.5 % fat and showed a 16-fold TBARS rise. Color values (a*, b*) and taste compounds (NMS, ANS) also declined with LN. Freezing at −18 °C best preserved lean meat, while −35 °C was optimal for fatty cuts. LN chilling is unsuitable for RTE pork. These findings offer benchmarks to optimize freezing, reheating strategies for RTE pork quality, stability.