Process for retaining moisture in cooked animal muscle

The process for retaining moisture in uncooked animal muscle tissue during cooking of the animal muscle tissue which comprises:

• (a) adding to said uncooked animal muscle tissue a protein mixture selected from the group consisting of an aqueous acidic protein solution, having a pH of about 3.5 or less, of myofibrillar proteins and sarcoplasmic proteins derived from animal muscle tissue, a dry protein mixture of myofibrillar proteins and sarcoplasmic proteins derived from animal muscle tissue obtained by drying said aqueous acidic protein solution and mixtures thereof by an adding method selected from the group consisting of applying said protein mixture to at least one surface of said uncooked animal muscle tissue, mixing said protein mixture with said uncooked animal muscle tissue, injecting said protein mixture into said uncooked animal muscle tissue and a combination of at least two of said adding methods
• and (b) cooking said uncooked animal muscle tissue and protein mixture from step (a).