What makes prunes such an effective meat ingredient? Prunes naturally contain high levels of fiber, sorbitol and malic acid. Prunes have also been shown to have one of the highest antioxidant activities of the leading common fruits and vegetables.
These components allow prunes to retain meat moisture, suppress the growth of various meat pathogens, enhance savory flavors and control the development of lipid oxidation or warmed-over flavor in processed meats. Available as purees, powders and juice concentrate, prunes can be used in most meat applications.
Journal of Food Science. Antioxidant Properties of Dried Plum Ingredients in Raw and Precooked Pork Sausage
Vol. 73, Nr. 5, 2008 H63-H 71A significant observation in this Texas A&M University study was that dried plums used at 3% or 6% levels was as effective as BHA/BHT for retarding lipid oxidation precooked (PR) or precooked frozen (PF) pork sausage. Dried plums used at 6% was even more effective than BHA/BHT for retarding oxidative rancidity in PF pork sausage patties. All treatments increased moisture and decreased fat content of raw pork sausages, while the addition of 6% dried plums reduced cook yields.
Dried Plum Puree Helps Retain the Moisture and Flavor of Hot Dogs While Lowering Cost
Research conducted by the California Prune Board suggests that the addition of small amounts of dried plum puree (3-5 percent) can help retain moisture and flavor of these American favorites.
Dried Plum Puree Increases the Moisture and Yield of School Lunch Hamburgers, Thus Lowering Cost–and They Taste Fast-Food Good
School foodservice operators can dramatically improve the quality of hamburgers served to students while lowering their cost using dried plum puree, which has been approved by the USDA.
Dried Plum Puree Makes School Lunch Pizza Sauce and Meat Toppings Nutritional, Tasty and Economical
The benefits of dried plum puree as a pizza ingredient include improved nutrition, less fat, better taste and lower cost.
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| Dried Plum Rubs, Marinades and Sauces Achieve Deeper Flavor, Added Moisture, Extended Shelf Life…Naturally | ViewDownload |
Dried plum purees, juice concentrates and particularly powders are an effective addition to marinades, sauces and rubs for a noticeable improvement in flavor, moisture and shelf life.
Recent research sponsored by the California California Prune Board conducted at the University of Arkansas-Fayetteville Food Science Department demonstrated that the addition of dried plum mixtures can be a good substitute for the phosphates currently being used in poultry processing. These conclusions come at a time when meat and poultry processors are seeking to raise the value of underutilized animal protein cuts as well as to add value to processed meats to increase profitability. At the same time consumers and foodservice operators are demanding more use of natural food ingredients and shorter, cleaner food labels along with increased flavor and other meat and poultry sensory characteristics.
Dried Plums: Natural Solutions to Improve the Quality, Nutrition and Safety of Foods in Space Travel
Dried plums have been shown to contain a number of natural components that directly address many of the problems associated with food production for space and the nutritional needs of astronauts.
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| Evaluation of Dried Plum Powder in Meat Products Destined For Convenience And Foodservice Outlets | ViewDownload |
This Texas A&M University study sponsored by The California California Prune Board concluded: The addition of dried plum powder into turkey breakfast sausage has a preventative effect on lipid oxidation (warmed-over flavor) in raw and cooked forms. Dried Plum powder when combined with rosemary extract had a more synergistic effect on preventing lipid oxidation during frozen storage than dried plum powder alone. The addition of 3% dried plum powder alone and combined with 0.05% rosemary extract for use as an alternative natural antioxidant suppressed the effects of lipid oxidation in turkey breakfast sausage while maintaining acceptable sensory attributes over long-term frozen storage when compared with rosemary extract and control links.
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| International Review of Food Science & Technology 2009, ‘Natural’ Suppression of the Growth of Foodborne Pathogens in Meat Products | ViewDownload |
Results of this study conducted at Kansas State University indicated the killing and suppression effects of various forms and concentrations of Dried Plum products on five important foodborne pathogenic bacteria in liquid and solid food systems, thus providing food safety benefits to these products besides their normal food values to the consumers.
Journal of Meat Science. Antioxidant properties of plum concentrates and powder in precooked roast beef to reduce lipid oxidation
Results of this study indicated that FP (fresh plum juice concentrate) or DP (dried plum powder) could be incorporated into a brine-injected cooked roast beef product at a level of 2.5% without detrimental effects and with the potential benefit of reducing lipid oxidation and WOF (warmed-over flavor).
Quality Characteristics of Freeze-Dried, Irradiated or Freeze-Dried-Irradiated Cooked Hamburger Patties Formulated with a Novel Fat Substitute and Plum Extract for the International Space Station
The addition of 10 percent fat substitute did not influence the sensory characteristics of RTE hamburger beef patties, but juiciness was increased by plum extract.