WHC of meat

By: Suharyanto

Water Holding Capacity (WHC) is often defined as the ability of meat in a bind or retain amount of free water, both water that originally existing in the flesh and the water added during the cutting, grinding, mincing, blending and other comminuting processes. The higher WHC, it is the better meat properties. Other meat properties associated with WHC are the color, texture, tenderness, and juiciness of meat.

WHC properties also determine the economic level of the meat processing business. During processing, the loss of water due to evaporation will occur. When the WHC is high, the shrinkage due to water loss is minimized. Meat with lower WHC value potent to lost a lot of water, consequently reducing the volume and weight of product will occur. In term of nutritional content, the lower WHC shows the damage to meat protein.

Naturally, water in meat is divided into three layers (compartment). The first layer is the meat that is really bound to the active groups of amino acids of meat protein. The second layer is immobilized water. Water in this layer is weakly bound by the active groups of amino acids. Third layer is free water. The free water is more weakly bound by the amino acids of meat protein. Meat with a good protein has active group of amino acids binding water. It retains free water bound.[]

Posted in: Animal Product Technology