Drip Loss Assessment by Different Analytical Methods and Their Relationships with Pork Quality Classification

Robledo De Almeida Torres Filho,Alcinéia De Lemos Souza Ramos,Eduardo Mendes Ramos,Henrique Pereira Cazedey,Paulo Rogério Fontes

doi:10.1155/2017/9170768

Robledo De Almeida Torres Filho, Alcinéia De Lemos Souza Ramos + Show 3 more

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https://doi.org/10.1155/2017/9170768

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Abstract

We analyzed drip loss in pork by comparing the standard bag (DL), filter-paper wetness (FPW), and EZ-DripLoss methods by weighing the meat juice container and dabbed sample after 24 h and 48 h. Samples were classified into quality categories based on pH, color, and drip loss. The relationship between DL and FPW revealed the cut-off of 5% DL as corresponding to FPW of 139 mg; 1.89% when analyzed by weighing meat juice container or dabbed sample after 24 h; and 3.18% and 3.74% for those analyzed by weighing both meat juice container and dabbed sample after 48 h, respectively. Highest correlations were observed between DL and EZ when the meat juice container was weighed after 48 h (r=0.86). The EZ-DripLoss method in which the meat juice container was weighed after 24 h was able to distinguish drip loss into meat-quality categories in accordance with the bag method. Therefore, this method is recommended for meat categorization because of its greater standardization and ease of application.

Highlights

The loss of fluids from pork is important for the industry because of its economic implication
These authors justified these results as being due to the greater surface area/weight ratio for the EZ method (2.6) compared with the bag method (1.3)
The relationship between drip loss by the bag (DL) and filter-paper wetness (FPW) methods indicated that the cut-off of 5% DL corresponds to FPW value of 139 mg

Summary

Introduction

The loss of fluids from pork is important for the industry because of its economic implication. Water accounts for approximately 75% of the weight of meat, and the ability of muscle to retain moisture is key to many meat-quality parameters held in high regard by the industry and consumers [1]. Larger drip losses are usually linked to a greater level of protein denaturation, because the water-holding capacity (WHC) of meat is affected by the state of the muscle proteins. A rapid pH decline postmortem may lead to protein denaturation, with serious consequences for the color, tenderness, and WHC, generating pale, soft, and exudative (PSE) meat [3]. Meat drip loss and lightness form the base of the definition of the pork quality categories, including RSE (reddish-pink, soft, and exudative), PFN (pale, firm, and nonexudative), RFN (reddish-pink, firm, and nonexudative), and DFD (dark, firm, and dry) meat [5]

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