Dynamic forecasting of beef freshness using multi-step time series analysis of electronic nose signals.

The main objectives of the research were such: to define the concept of cold chain as an object of legal regulation; to find out the content and features of the EU legislation on the safety and quality of meat and meat products during cold chain and its use in Ukraine; to characterize the legal bases of the current legislation of Ukraine on ensuring the safety and quality of meat and meat products during cold chain, to formulate proposals and recommendations aimed at improving the national legislation of Ukraine by approximating it to the EU legislation, which sets requirements for the safety and quality of meat and meat products throughout cold chain. To achieve the abovementioned objectives, the following methods were used: comparative legal, analytical, systemic, dialectical, generalizing, specific-search, structural-functional, semantic, methods of deduction and induction, etc.
 The content and features of the legal regulation of the safety and quality of meat and meat products in the current legislation of the European Union and Ukraine have been clarified.
 For the first time, the definition of the term 'cold chain' has been proposed by reference to it in author's editorial, which should influence its clearer scientific and practical understanding. It is determined that the temperature regimes of cold processing, storage and transportation of meat and meat products in Ukraine are regulated by a large number of legal acts, in particular: national standards of Ukraine (DSTU), technical regulations, technological instructions, rules of transportation, etc.
 It is found that national legal acts do not provide a systematic understanding of the particularities of cold chain legal regulation in the meat processing industry in order to ensure the safety and quality of meat and meat products. As a result of departmental inconsistency, the existing storage temperature parameters for the same product type in different legal acts differ from each other, which does not allow to determine the actual storage periods at different stages of the cold chain.
 In addition, current legal acts in Ukraine do not provide for constant monitoring of the temperature of cold-processed meat and meat products throughout all cold chain units and the hygienic condition of refrigerators throughout the shelf life.
 As a result, the cold chain is very difficult to be controlled and requires a large number of factors to be taken into account in order to bring safe and high-quality meat and meat products to the end consumer. According to the results of the research, proposals and recommendations are formulated to improve the national legislation of Ukraine governing the cold chain in the meat processing industry.

During the last two decades, a number of methods have been developed to objectively measure meat quality attributes. Hyperspectral imaging technique as one of these methods has been regarded as a smart and promising analytical tool for analyses conducted in research and industries. Recently there has been a renewed interest in using hyperspectral imaging in quality evaluation of different food products. The main inducement for developing the hyperspectral imaging system is to integrate both spectroscopy and imaging techniques in one system to make direct identification of different components and their spatial distribution in the tested product. By combining spatial and spectral details together, hyperspectral imaging has proved to be a promising technology for objective meat quality evaluation. The literature presented in this paper clearly reveals that hyperspectral imaging approaches have a huge potential for gaining rapid information about the chemical structure and related physical properties of all types of meat. In addition to its ability for effectively quantifying and characterizing quality attributes of some important visual features of meat such as color, quality grade, marbling, maturity, and texture, it is able to measure multiple chemical constituents simultaneously without monotonous sample preparation. Although this technology has not yet been sufficiently exploited in meat process and quality assessment, its potential is promising. Developing a quality evaluation system based on hyperspectral imaging technology to assess the meat quality parameters and to ensure its authentication would bring economical benefits to the meat industry by increasing consumer confidence in the quality of the meat products. This paper provides a detailed overview of the recently developed approaches and latest research efforts exerted in hyperspectral imaging technology developed for evaluating the quality of different meat products and the possibility of its widespread deployment.

Biosensors can find application in meat and meat products testing for safety, including microbial and other contaminants, and quality, including meat freshness, beef tenderness and pork quality defects. The available biosensors enable the evaluation of freshness, the classification of tenderness of meat products, the evaluation of the glycolysis extent and the presence of the microbial and other contaminants. Since biosensors depend on receptor types, the expansion of knowledge on metabolic transformations occurring in meat contributes to the development of new potential markers and indicators. Examples include assays for glucose, lactates, hypoxanthines, calpastastins, microbial and other contaminants in meat products, augmenting conventional methods. At the same time, biosensors rely on transducers for detection, requiring achievement in many fields including nanotechnology and optics, among others. Biosensors have potential to become a fundamental tool for monitoring and controlling safety and quality of meat products in the future. Hence the aim of the present paper is to present the current state of knowledge on the application of biosensors in meat.

Practice 32 - Analysis of meat, poultry and their products

Minced meat is a popular and widely consumed food worldwide. The quality of meat products is often associated with microbiological correctness, sustainability, and sensory properties. The quality of minced meat and minced meat products is affected by a variety of factors. The European Union (EU) has established regulations to standardize and enhance the quality of minced meat products. Adherence to these regulations plays a crucial role in meeting the desired nutritional composition and sensory attributes of minced meat products.

The quality and shelf life of meat and meat products are key factors that are usually evaluated by complex and laborious protocols and intricate sensory methods. Devices with attractive characteristics (fast reading, portability, and relatively low operational costs) that facilitate the measurement of meat and meat products characteristics are of great value. This review aims to provide an overview of the fundamentals of electronic nose (E-nose), eye (E-eye), and tongue (E-tongue), data preprocessing, chemometrics, the application in the evaluation of quality and shelf life of meat and meat products, and advantages and disadvantages related to these electronic systems. E-nose is the most versatile technology among all three electronic systems and comprises applications to distinguish the application of different preservation methods (chilling vs. frozen, for instance), processing conditions (especially temperature and time), detect adulteration (meat from different species), and the monitoring of shelf life. Emerging applications include the detection of pathogenic microorganisms using E-nose. E-tongue is another relevant technology to determine adulteration, processing conditions, and to monitor shelf life. Finally, E-eye has been providing accurate measuring of color evaluation and grade marbling levels in fresh meat. However, advances are necessary to obtain information that are more related to industrial conditions. Advances to include industrial scenarios (cut sorting in continuous processing, for instance) are of great value.

Oxidation is one of the major reasons for impaired quality of meat and meat products but can be prevented by the addition of antioxidants. In the present study, the effect of dietary sweet chestnut wood extract and hop cones on the quality and oxidative stability of meat and dry-cured products was investigated. Control pigs (N = 11) were fed a commercial diet (13.1 MJ metabolizable energy, 15.5% crude protein), while the other two experimental groups were supplemented with 3% of sweet chestnut wood extract (Tannin; N = 12) or 0.4% of hop cones (Hops; N = 11). The quality of meat and dry-cured products was evaluated by means of chemical composition, water holding capacity, objective color, and lipid and protein oxidation. No major effects of sweet chestnut wood extract or of hops supplementation were observed, nevertheless, some indications of improved water holding capacity could be attributed to antioxidants supplementation. The color evolution of dry-cured bellies from Tannin and Hops groups of pigs during refrigerated storage was also indicative of an improved oxidative stability.

<abstract> <p>Muscle foods are perishable products that are subject to several contaminations such as microbial and/or chemical (lipid and protein oxidation) alterations, which result in their deterioration and quality loss. Several processing strategies are used to preserve and improve the stability, shelf-life and quality of meat and meat products, from which natural preservative agents are gaining interest from both industrials and consumers as green and eco-friendly strategies. Among these natural preservatives, biosurfactants are emerging molecules. Their natural origin and biodegradability make them appealing for use in the food industry. In meat research, biosurfactants are of great interest as antimicrobial and antioxidant agents to reduce meat spoilage and wastage as well as for improving the shelf-life of the products. We aimed to discuss the potential applications of biosurfactants with a focus on their antimicrobial and antioxidant activity within the objectives of reducing meat quality deterioration and improving the image quality (acceptability by consumers) of meat and meat products. Additionally, further perspectives under the context of practical applications of biosurfactants in meat emulsification have been discussed, serving as a reference to feed knowledge gaps in this emerging topic of research. Further studies and evaluations of biosurfactants in meat research are needed to establish more evidence of their potential benefits, applicability and feasibility at a larger scale.</p> </abstract>

Recent advances in cold plasma technology for enhancing the safety and quality of meat and meat products: A comprehensive review.

Climate change, driven by the natural process of global warming, is a worldwide issue of significant concern because of its adverse effects on livestock output. The increasing trend of environmental temperature surging has drastically affected meat production and meat product quality, hence result in economic losses for the worldwide livestock business. Due to the increasing greenhouse gas emissions, the situation would get prolonged, and heat exposure-related stress is expected to worsen. Heat exposure causes metabolic and physiological disruptions in livestock. Ruminants and monogastric animals are very sensitive to heat stress due to their rate of metabolism, development, and higher production levels. Before slaughter, intense hot weather triggers muscle glycogen breakdown, producing pale, mushy, and exudative meat with less water-holding capacity. Animals exposed to prolonged high temperatures experience a decrease in their muscle glycogen reserves, producing dry, dark, and complex meat with elevated final pH and increased water-holding capacity. Furthermore, heat stress also causes oxidative stresses, especially secondary metabolites from lipid oxidation, severely affects the functionality of proteins, oxidation of proteins, decreasing shelf life, and food safety by promoting exfoliation and bacterial growth. Addressing the heat-related issues to retain the sustainability of the meat sector is an essential task that deserves an inclusive and comprehensive approach. Considering the intensity of the heat stress effects, this review has been designed primarily to examine the consequences of hot environment temperatures and related stresses on the quality and safety of meat and secondarily focus on cutting edge technology to reduce or alleviate the situational impact.

Meat and seafood products present a viable medium for microbial propagation, which contributes to foodborne illnesses and quality losses. The development of novel and effective techniques for microbial decontamination is therefore vital to the food industry. Water presents a unique advantage for large-scale applications, which can be functionalized to inactivate microbial growth, ensuring the safety and quality of meat and seafood products. By taking into account the increased popularity of functionalized water utilization through electrolysis, ozonation and cold plasma technology, relevant literature regarding their applications in meat and seafood safety and quality are reviewed. In addition, the principles of generating functionalized water are presented, and the safety issues associated with their uses are also discussed.Functionalization of water is a promising approach for the microbiological safety and quality of meat and seafood products and possesses synergistic effects when combined with other decontamination approaches. However, functionalized water is often misused since the active antimicrobial component is applied at a much higher concentration, despite the availability of applicable regulations. Functionalized water also shows reduced antimicrobial efficiency and may produce disinfection by-products (DBPs) in the presence of organic matter, especially at a higher concentration of active microbial component. Utilization should be encouraged within regulated guidelines, especially as hurdle technology, while plasma functionalized water which emerges with great potentials should be exploited for future applications. It is hoped that this review should encourage the industry to adopt the functionalized water as an effective alternative technique for the food industry.

The study was conducted in the conditions of the scientific and economic Department of the Institute of pig breeding and agro-industrial production of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine in order to establish the impact of feeding walnuts on the productive qualities, morphological composition of carcasses and the quality of meat and fat products of pigs of the revived mirgorod breed. The results of the experiment show that the introduction of walnuts into the diet of fattening young animals contributed to an increase in the intensity of growth and development of animals. The average daily live weight gain in pigs of the experimental groups exceeded the indicators of the control group by 2.75% and 6.91%, respectively. At the same time, there was an improvement in feed conversion, which indicates an increase in the efficiency of nutrient use. With almost the same pre-slaughter live weight, the slaughter yield in experimental animals was higher by 1.40% and 3.92% compared to the control. The length of pig carcasses in the experimental groups exceeded the control indicators by 1.57% and 1.64 %, while the thickness of lard was less by 5.48% and 8.45 % (p < 0.05), which indicates the formation of a more meat-like type of carcass. The area of the "muscle eye" in pigs of the experimental groups exceeded the control by 1.1 mm and 2.1 mm, which reflects a tendency to increase the proportion of muscle tissue in the carcass structure. Thus, the use of walnuts in feeding contributes to a more intensive growth of muscle mass, which is the most valuable component of slaughter products. It was found that in pigs that consumed nuts, the content of intramuscular fat significantly exceeded the control values — by 0.26 % (p=0.05) and 0.5 % (p=0.05), which positively affects the taste properties of meat. The results of organoleptic analysis showed that the broth obtained from pig meat of the experimental groups had better indicators in appearance, aroma and richness of taste. This indicates the expediency of using walnuts as a natural feed additive to improve the organoleptic properties of meat and lard products. The revealed changes in the biochemical composition of meat indicate the possible influence of walnut components on metabolic processes in muscle tissue, in particular on the state of the pro-oxidant-antioxidant system of the animal body. Feeding walnuts to pigs of the revived mirgorod breed has a positive effect on their productivity, morphological indicators of carcasses and the quality of meat and fat products. The results obtained give grounds to recommend the use of walnuts as a feed additive in the diets of fattening young animals in order to increase the biological and consumer value of meat products. Keywords: Walnut, mirgorod pig breed, productivity, morphological composition of carcasses, quality of meat and fat products, biochemical indicators

The current review was initiated to encourage the government of Ethiopia, stakeholders, and policymakers about the substantial effects of handling, slaughtering process, and transportation on welfare and meat quality of farm animals of animals. In Ethiopia, until this review was made, there is no comprehensive legislation, rules, or regulations articulated for farm animals' welfare during rearing, transport, and slaughter. Hence, the welfare of animals was not taken into consideration and often constrained by high levels of poverty, cultural perceptions and beliefs, lack of training and knowledge of animal handling, inadequate transport, and slaughter facilities. The most common farm animal transport system was on the foot from a rural area to a nearby market and then by vehicle to the urban area. During transport, farm animals were exposed to several potential stressors like trip distance, design of vehicle, animal standing orientation, loading and unloading facilities, and temperature fluctuations that affect the welfare, quality, and shelf life of meat and meat products. Aversive ways of handling farm animals, including improper use of sticks, pushing, pulling, and beating them on their head and body frequently by handlers and slaughtering them without stunning, were common practices. This aversive way of handling also causes carcass damage such as bruising, hemorrhages, skin blemishes, blood splash, and broken bones. Therefore, from this review, it has been recommended that, in order to improve animal welfare and thereby meat quality that has been affected by improper handling, transport, and slaughter, the government of Ethiopia is strongly encouraged to endorse inclusive animal welfare jurisdictive acts that would protect animal sentience, define animal welfare in line with OIE standards, and prohibit animal brutality. Creating awareness for stakeholders, particularly for handlers about behavioral principles, proper handling of farm animals, basic concept and role of good animal welfare, and its significant impact on the quality of meat is also imperative.

The country's food security is an important and, at the same time, difficult task for Russian agriculture in the context of the import substitution policy. Ensuring the safety and quality of raw materials and food products is a necessary condition that determines the health of the population and the preservation of its gene pool. The most crucial measure in solving the problem of the quality of livestock products is a scientifically based veterinary and sanitary assessment of meat and other livestock products. Therefore, control of the quality and safety of meat and its processed products is a relevant topic for study. The article analyses the procedure for the work of the regional veterinary service on the issues of monitoring the safety of meat and meat products and the data of the annual reports of the 5-vet test centre of the “Regional State Budgetary Institution (RSBI) "Altai Regional Veterinary Center for the Prevention and Diagnosis of Animal Diseases"' for 2020 - 2021. It has been established that the system of veterinary and sanitary control of the safety and quality of meat and meat products in the Altai Territory is carried out by the developed scheme and consists of tests of selected samples in testing laboratories accredited for these indicators. For the period 2021 – 2022 in the Altai Territory, no specimens with deviations from the regulatory documents TR CU 021/2011 Technical Regulations of the Customs Union “On the Safety of Food Products”, TR CU 034/2013 Technical Regulations of the Customs Union “On the Safety of Meat and Meat Products” were found in the tested samples. Tests are carried out quarterly for physical, chemical, and microbiological indicators of pesticides and annually for heavy metal salts, radionuclides, the presence of antibiotics, nitrites and hormones. The analysis results allow us to conclude the timely identification of meat and meat products of questionable quality.

The popular theories for microbial dynamics by Monod, Pirt and Droop are shown to be special cases of a model for individual budgets, in which growth and maintenance are on the expense of reserve materials. The dynamics of reserve materials is a first order process with a relaxation time proportional to cell length; maintenance is proportional to cell volume, and uptake, which depends hyperbolically on substrate density, is proportional to cell volume as well. Because of the latter, population dynamics depends on the behaviour of the individuals in a simple way, such that the cell volume distribution has no quantitative effect. When uptake is proportional to the surface area of the cell, which is realistic from a physical point of view, the relation between the individual level and the population one becomes more complicated and the cell size and shape distribution affects population dynamics. It is shown how the changing shape of rods modifies uptake and, consequently, growth. The concept of energy conductance, defined as the ratio of the maximum surface area specific uptake and the volume specific energy reserve has been introduced in the analysis of microbial dynamics. The first tentative results indicate that the value for E. coli is close to the mean value for a wide variety of animals. Properties of the model for cell suspension at constant substrate densities are analyzed and tested against a variety of experimental data from the literature on both the individual and the population level.