Kao Corporation

Yoko Sakurai

Koichi Okisaka

Hirofumi Takigawa

Manabu Toi

Yutaka Shoga

The present invention provides an ester composition which can tenderize a stringy hard meat such as beef from abroad to a proper tenderness, the processing time, etc. and a meat tenderizer comprising said ester composition and protease without giving a special control over the amount of an enzyme. The present invention also provides a meat modifier which can provide a tender, juicy and less stringy meat that can be easily served and a food meat or meat product processed with such a meat modifier. A meat modifier is also provided, comprising an ester composition of a C.sub.12-22 saturated or unsaturated fatty monoglyceride with succinic acid or diacetyltartaric acid having an acid value of from 30 to 120. The present invention provides a meat modifier comprising the ester composition and a metalloprotease, which no longer causes round to be tenderized after 24 hours of storage at a temperature of 20.degree. C. with said metalloprotease kept in contact therewith in a proportion of 300 units per 10 g in enzyme equivalence.

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Ibaraki, Japan

Yoko Sakurai