Abstract
ABSTRACTIn this study, changes in water activity (aw) values and moisture and salt contents of fresh or frozen/thawed beef samples were detected during the salting process. The salt diffusion coefficients (Deff) in meat samples were calculated, and changes in thermal properties of meat proteins were identified. aw values in both fresh and frozen/thawed meat samples were significantly decreasing during the salting process. Salt contents of the samples significantly increased during the salting process while moisture contents decreased significantly. The Deff value of freshly salted samples was calculated as and as for frozen/thawed samples. It was found out that the freezing/thawing process significantly increased the salt Deff value by 50% compared with that of fresh meat. From the thermal analysis of the samples, the denaturation peak temperatures decreased or were no longer observed as a result of the decrease of the moisture content and increase of the salt concentration of the tissue.
Highlights
One of the most important processes used in the storage of meat or its processing into a final product is salting
It was found out that the freezing/thawing process applied to the meat samples increased the salt diffusion coefficients (Deff) value by 50% compared with that of fresh meat
The aw values determined both in fresh and frozen/thawed meat samples greatly decreased with the salting process
Summary
One of the most important processes used in the storage of meat or its processing into a final product is salting. The speed of NaCl diffusion taking place in the meat and the amount of NaCl the meat receives at the same time, and some chemical changes that occur in the meat protein have a significant effect on the quality of the final product (Barat et al, 2009). There is not a study analyzing the effects of freezing/thawing process on salt diffusion for beef and in the meantime the changes that may occur in the thermal properties of meat proteins. Salt diffusion in the fresh or frozen/thawed beef and changes that occur in the thermal properties of meat proteins as a result of salting under the conditions of the curing stage of pastırma production were tried to be found out
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