In recent years, quick-frozen food industry has developed rapidly, with an average annual growth rate of about 20%. Quick-frozen dumplings are a large category of quick-frozen foods, accounting for about 1/3 of frozen prepared foods. In actual production, the food additive sodium tripolyphosphate can effectively improve the problems of quick-frozen dumplings, such as cracking of the skin, outflow of juice, sticky taste, poor elasticity, and turbid soup when boiled, and improve product quality.

If too much juice flows out after the dumplings are thawed, on the one hand, it will cause the dumpling skin to open, and on the other hand, the browning of the juice after thawing will also cause the dumpling skin to turn black. In addition to improving the processing technology of dumplings such as filling preparation, packaging technology, freezing speed and storage temperature, sodium tripolyphosphate helps to improve the water retention of dumplings, thereby playing a role in resisting frost cracking.

The buffering effect of sodium tripolyphosphate makes the pH of the dough deviate from the isoelectric point, which helps to improve the water holding capacity of the dough. At the same time, sodium tripolyphosphate can complex metal ions such as calcium to prevent them from cross-linking with gluten protein, thereby increasing water retention and reducing the volume shrinkage and rupture of dumplings.

In response to the problem of loss of dumpling skin during cooking, sodium tripolyphosphate can strengthen the combination between starch and gluten protein, reduce starch dissolution, thereby reducing cooking loss and improving the phenomenon of soup mixing after dumplings are cooked. Adding sodium tripolyphosphate to the dough can also make the dumpling skin whiter, increase gloss, elasticity and smoothness.

The reasons why sodium tripolyphosphate can effectively prevent browning of dumpling skin:

1. It complexes metal ions and macromolecular substances, delaying enzymatic browning;

2. Sodium tripolyphosphate can increase the water holding rate of fillings and reduce juice loss, thereby reducing the impact of juice browning on the color of dumpling skin.

In addition, sodium tripolyphosphate reacts with starch to form starch phosphate, which can be used as an emulsifier to increase the water holding rate of dough and has good freeze-thaw stability.

Therefore, the buffering and chelating effects of sodium tripolyphosphate not only improve the water retention of the dough and reduce the freezing cracking rate of the dough, but also enhance the water retention of the filling, reduce the outflow of juice, and prevent adverse effects on the dough.