Heat-induced formation of advanced glycation end-products in ground pork as affected by the addition of acetic acid or citric acid and the storage duration prior to the heat treatments

The heat-induced (121 °C, 10 or 30 min) formation of two potentially hazardous advanced glycation end-products (AGEs), protein-bound N(ɛ)-carboxymethyllysine (CML) and N(ɛ)-carboxyethyllysine (CEL), in pork as affected by citric or acetic acid (0.5, 1 g/100 pork) and the storage duration (0 °C, 0 – 8 d) prior to the heating was investigated. A longer storage time of raw pork resulted in higher levels of AGEs produced during the later heating, likely due to the accumulation of some AGE precursors during the storage. Depending on the acid level and heating time, adding acid in pork led to 30 – 54% (citric acid) or 14 – 48% (acetic acid) average reduction of heat-induced production of CML/CEL, which corresponded to the reduction of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances and Schiff bases. The marinating time of raw pork with an acid did not significantly affect (P = 0.959 – 0.998) the acid’s inhibition effect on heat-induced formation of CML/CEL.