Optimization of a ham formulation

Summary The functionality of a ham formulation was examined with respect to variation in both blend and amount of added ingredients. This allowed the determination of how the individual attributes: cooking loss, syneresis and gel strength, changed in response to ingredient addition. Optimizing the ingredient proportions and addition level that determined acceptable functionality was addressed using a method that took account of how cooking loss, syneresis and gel strength change over the blend/amount region. the optimization led to the identification of a suitable formulation. the more general problem of how best to identify an optimum in food systems when faced with differing units of measurement and differing ranges of individual response is discussed by examining specialized distance measures, or metrics. By allowing the performance of the food system to be monitored these allow a compromise to be determined between possibly conflicting optimal values on individual responses.