Effect of Reduction and Replacement of Sodium Chloride on Rancidity Development in Raw and Cooked Ground Pork.

Ground pork (raw and cooked) was treated with NaCl, KCl or MgCl2 at ionic strengths of either 0.70 or 0.35, and stored at 4 or -20°C. Regardless of storage temperature, NaCl and MgCl2 increased rancidity of both raw and cooked samples, whereas KCl increased rancidity of raw samples only. In raw pork samples, NaCl increased rancidity the most. In cooked samples, MgCl2 increased rancidity more than NaCl when samples were stored at 4°C, but the opposite was true for samples stored at -20°C. Discoloration was most severe for raw, frozen samples treated with NaCl. Replacement of NaCl with KCl was most effective for decreasing rancidity in both raw and cooked samples.