Survey on the sorbic acid concentrations in cooked meat produced from meat processing plants

Sorbic acid is one of preservatives that is mostly used in general food. This study was carried out to measure the amount of the sorbic acid in cooked meat produced from meat processing plants in Gyeongbuk province. One hundred and fifty-three samples of cooked meat(42 spices added meats, 56 grinding cooked meats, 2 bacons, 5 jerked meats, 18 sausages, 30 hams) were collected from meat processing plants and analyzed for the concentration of preservative sorbic acid and its salts by using of high performance liquid chromatography(HPLC). Sorbic acid was not detected in spices added meats, grinding cooked meats, bacons, and jerked meats except on ham and sausage. But the concentration range of sorbic acid in sausage was 0.00～1.31g/kg, average 0.44g/kg, and in ham was 0.00～1.31g/kg, average 0.329/kg. There was no sample that sorbate concentration exceeded the legal permitted level 2.0g/kg in cooked meat.