With the growing demand of consumers for natural and healthy food, as a member of the food raw material industry, Sunflower Group has been looking for food additives that can meet both market demand and food safety standards. As a natural pigment, betalain stands out among many natural pigments and has become one of the key focuses of our company's R&D team. Next, we will start from the basic characteristics of betalain and explore its application value and technical implementation path in ham meat products.
1. Overview of betalain
Betalain is mainly derived from red beet (Beta vulgaris L.) and is a naturally occurring water-soluble pigment. It consists of a variety of components, mainly betacyanins and betaxanthins. Among them, betacyanins is the main coloring component, which gives betalain a unique red hue. This pigment is not only brightly colored, but also has good stability and can resist the influence of factors such as temperature and light within a certain range.
2. Advantages of beetroot in ham meat products
High safety: beetroot is a natural pigment, and its safety has been recognized by many international authorities, such as the US FDA, the European Food Safety Authority, etc. This makes it an ideal choice to replace synthetic pigments.
Natural color: The use of beetroot can make ham appear more natural and healthy red, which is more attractive to consumers who pursue natural food than traditional artificial synthetic pigments.
Nutritional value: In addition to being a colorant, beetroot also contains antioxidant ingredients, which helps to improve the nutritional value of food.
3. Technical challenges and solutions
Although beetroot has many advantages, it also faces some challenges in practical application. For example, beetroot is sensitive to pH, and the color will change when the pH is lower than 3 or higher than 7; in addition, high temperature treatment may also cause color fading. To solve these problems, we have taken the following measures:
pH adjustment: By precisely controlling the pH value during processing, ensure that beetroot is in the most stable environment.
Low-temperature processing: Use low-temperature slow cooking and other technologies to reduce the impact of high temperature on beetroot.
Antioxidant addition: Add natural antioxidants, such as vitamin C, in appropriate amounts to enhance the stability of betalain.
4. Case study
In order to verify the application effect of betalain in ham meat products, we conducted several experiments. The experimental results show that ham products with added betalain not only have bright colors, but also have unaffected taste and flavor, and consumers have a high degree of acceptance. More importantly, the safety of these products has been further guaranteed, meeting the needs of modern consumers for healthy food.
In summary, as a safe and efficient natural pigment, betalain has broad application prospects in ham meat products. As practitioners in the food processing industry, we have the responsibility to continuously explore and innovate, and use advanced technology and scientific methods to provide consumers with better quality and healthier food choices. In the future, we will continue to deepen our research on betalain, explore more possible application areas, and contribute to the development of the food industry.