Abstract
A survey was conducted to determine the content of cyclopropane fatty acids (CPFAs) and ω-cyclohexyl fatty acids (CHFAs) by using gas chromatography- mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR) techniques in various meat samples from different species, including commercial samples and complex and thermally processed products (i.e., Bolognese sauce). The CPFAs concentration (as the sum of two isomers, namely dihydrosterculic acid and lactobacillic acid) in bovine meat fat (ranging between 70 and 465 mg/kg fat) was positively related to a silage-based diet, and therefore, they are potential biomarkers for monitoring the feeding system of cattle. CHFAs, such as 11-cyclohexylundecanoic and 13-cyclohexyltridecanoic acids, were only found in lipid profiles from ruminant species, and a linear trend was observed in their content, together with iso-branched fatty acids (iso-BCFAs) deriving from ruminal fermentation, as a function of bovine meat percentage in both raw and cooked minced meat. Thus, CHFAs are potential biomarkers for the assurance of the meat species and, combined with iso-BCFAs, of the beef/pork ratio even in complex meat matrices. The proposed approaches are valuable novel tools for meat authentication, which is pivotal in the management of meat quality, safety, and traceability.
Highlights
Traceability of meat has become more important in recent years with the globalization of food distribution combined with the potential for fraudulent claims on commercial products
This study focused on the identification and characterization of cyclic fatty acids in a large number of meat samples, with the aim to explore the possibility of using cyclopropane fatty acids (CPFAs) to discriminate between beef from grass silage-based diets and grass-based diets, and cyclohexyl fatty acids (CHFAs) as markers of ruminant species to detect and quantify the beef/pork ratio in commercial minced meat
The presence of CPFAs in meat samples was analyzed by combining gas chromatography- mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and 1 H NMR, which evidenced the characteristic signal of the cyclopropane ring [27] used for CPFAs quantification [22]
Summary
Traceability of meat has become more important in recent years with the globalization of food distribution combined with the potential for fraudulent claims on commercial products. Different analytical methods (e.g., liquid- and gas chromatography (L/GC), mass spectrometry (MS), Raman spectroscopy, and low-field nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and near-infrared (NIR). Spectroscopy) are available for the authentication of meat and meat products in terms of species identification and dietary patterns [2,3,4,5,6]. Several authors have discussed the identification of meat from different species using analytical techniques based on DNA analysis, traditional and real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and protein/peptides measurements [7,8,9]. The fatty acid composition of muscle and adipose tissue is less reliable for meat species identification because this parameter is largely dependent on the animal diet [10].
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