ABSTRACT
ABSTRACT: This paper reports the moderate tenderization of meat through the use of bromelain and its inhibitor at room temperature, which promotes the application of enzyme technology in the meat industry. The best enzymatic parameters for tenderizing pork are obtained by bromelain. Furthermore, zinc sulfate is found to be a suitable bromelain inhibitor at root temperature. The relative activity of bromelain is reduced to 3% of the original activity when 0.025 g/100 g of zinc sulfate is added to minced pork. The results show that the moderate tenderization of meat can be achieved by using bromelain under optimal conditions, followed by the addition of a safe inhibitor, zinc sulfate, to control bromelain activity to the desired degree. This study suggests that the enzyme technology resulting from the combination of bromelain and its inhibitor is useful in improving the quality of meat and in developing novel cured meat products.
