Combined Effects of Sodium D-Isoascorbate, Phospholipids and Sodium Lactate on Storage Stability and Shelf Life of Red Sour Soup (Hong Suan Tang) Meat Filling

Red sour soup dumpling filling, a prepared meat product from Guizhou, China, requires validated shelf-life control strategies for industrial-scale commercialization. This study investigated a composite preservation system of sodium D-isoascorbate, phospholipids, and sodium lactate using a Box–Behnken design, and evaluated its effects on color, lipid oxidation (PV, TBARS), TVB-N, texture, sensory scores, APC, and coliforms during accelerated shelf-life testing. Key indicators were identified by correlation analysis, and shelf life was predicted using log-logistic AFT and temperature-state-dependent kinetic models. The optimized formulation (0.27% sodium D-isoascorbate, 0.11% phospholipids, and 0.05% sodium lactate) significantly inhibited lipid oxidation, retarded color deterioration, maintained texture, and delayed sensory decline. Sensory shelf life (SSL50) at 5 °C, −5 °C, and −18 °C extended from 4.44 d to 6.49 d, 16.70 d to 22.90 d, and 108.99 d to 136.76 d, whereas PV-based shelf life extended from 11.0 d to 14.5 d, 15.8 d to 18.8 d, and 124.3 d to 224.3 d. The relative extension of sensory shelf life decreased as storage temperature decreased, whereas PV shelf-life extension surged at low temperatures, indicating a decoupling of lipid oxidation from textural deterioration under frozen conditions. Therefore, shelf-life prediction for dumpling fillings should move away from arbitrary relative thresholds and instead establish sensory-calibrated absolute chemical thresholds, thereby helping align chemical shelf-life indicators with consumer-relevant quality endpoints.