Are chemicals used to tenderize meat?
A. Yes, but meat that has an added tenderizer must be so labeled. Natural foods are the source of most meat tenderizers. The more widely used is papain from the papaya although derivatives from pineapple (bromelin) and figs (ficin) may also be used. In addition, proteolytic enzymes from the molds aspergillus oryzae and aspergillus flavus oryzae group may be used to soften the tissue.
