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The effect of phosphate on muscle protein is mainly through three aspects:

1. Changing the molecular charge, the static charge carried by proteins is the fundamental attraction of water by proteins. The effect of static charge increases the repulsion between protein molecules, thereby creating larger molecular space and increasing water retention. The external manifestation of the effect of electric charge is pH. When the electric charge is at the isoelectric point, the space between protein molecules is minimized, and the pH is around 5. The water retention of meat products is also the lowest. By adjusting the pH with phosphate, the charge of protein molecules deviates from the isoelectric point, which can significantly improve the water retention of meat products.

2. Chelate metal ions, divalent metal ions are more easily bound to proteins. After phosphate chelates metal ions, carboxyl groups in proteins are exposed, and the molecular space of proteins increases, improving their binding ability with water.

3. Increase the content of myosin. Phosphate will promote the dissociation of actin and transform it into myosin with gel characteristics, thus improving the water retention.

In the production of meat products, phosphate is the only effective moisture retention agent that activates meat protein. The production and processing of meat products cannot do without phosphates. Phosphates are mainly divided into two aspects: monomer products and compound products.

1) Monomer products: refer to phosphates specified in the GB 2760 food additive use standard, such as sodium tripolyphosphate, sodium pyrophosphate, sodium hexametaphosphate, trisodium phosphate, etc.

2) Compound products: Currently, in the national standard general guidelines, they are named as compound water retention agents, including commonly known product names such as pickling agents.