Divergent effects of phosphate salts on advanced glycation end-product formation in minced pork during commercial sterilization.

This research investigated the impacts of phosphate salts (sodium tripolyphosphate and tetrasodium pyrophosphate) and pre-heating storage (0 °C, 1-7 d) on Nε-carboxymethyllysine (CML) and Nε-carboxyethyllysine (CEL) formation in minced pork during commercial sterilization (121 °C). While significant (p < 0.05) increases in fructosamine and browning intensity indicated that phosphates accelerated the Maillard reaction, this effect was presumably outweighed by their antioxidative inhibition of lipid oxidation and the oxidative degradation of sugars and their Maillard-derived intermediates, leading to a net reduction in CML throughout sterilization. Conversely, phosphates exerted a biphasic effect on CEL: promoting formation during the initial 10 min of sterilization, suggesting an acceleration of non-oxidative methylglyoxal pathways, followed by a net decrease during the subsequent 20 min as lipid oxidation inhibition presumably prevailed. These inhibitory effects were more pronounced in stored pork, potentially because phosphate-mediated metal ion chelation during storage limited their catalytic availability during subsequent heating.