Brine Hydration 101

• Water (should be 0-6 ºC)
• Phosphate (because the hardest to hydrate ingredients should always go first)
• Soy protein
• Salt & Nitrite
• Sugar and carrageenan (granulation helps your carrageenan disperse)
• Color, flavor, starch
• Erythorbate (goes last to prevent reaction with nitrite)

The purpose of phosphate in a meat application is to raise the pH of the muscle (in addition to chelating and other ionic reactions) and be more like its pre-rigor state. This opens the muscle and allows binders and flavors to re-hydrate the muscle structure.The ultimate function of soy protein is to increase viscosity in the muscle and hold moisture and other ingredients within the muscle fibers. A soy protein will continue to hydrate until maximum hydration whether it’s in your brine, tumbler, or cooler. A quick hydration soy protein can be slowed for easier pumping by adding it after the salt. Salt will reduce hydration speed only up front.**Increasing your yields rule of thumb: If a phosphate and salt brine increases your yield by 10%, a 1% addition of soy protein isolate or hydrolyzed soy protein, can increase your yield to 20%. Ask your SPI Group sales person how to put these ingredients into action at your plant!