Cured Meat Products Research Articles

The Stability, Microstructure, and Microrheological Properties of Monascus Pigment Double Emulsions Stabilized by Polyglycerol Polyricinoleate and Soybean Protein Isolate.

Monascus pigment is a natural food pigment and is commonly used for coloring and as antiseptic of cured meat products, confectionery, cakes, and beverages. However, Monascus pigment is sensitive to environmental conditions. The main aim of this study was to investigate the effect of polyglycerol polyricinoleate (PGPR) and soy protein isolate (SPI) on the particle size, zeta potential, physical stability, microstructure, and microrheological properties of Monascus pigment double emulsions. The effects of ionic strength, heating, and freeze thawing treatment on the stabilities of Monascus pigment double emulsions were also characterized. It was found that the optimum PGPR and SPI concentrations for fabricating Monascus pigment double emulsion were 3.6 and 3.0 wt%, respectively. The fabricated Monascus pigment double emulsion was composed of fine particles with narrow and uniform size distributions. Microrheological property results suggested that the elastic characteristic of the Monascus pigment double emulsion was dominated with increasing PGPR and SPI contents. It was mainly due to the increased collision and interaction between the droplets during the movement resulting in force increasing. Monascus pigment double emulsions with <5 mM CaCl2 prevented calcium to destroy the physical stability of emulsions, while Monascus pigment double emulsions with more than 10 mM CaCl2 formed creaming. After freeze thawing treatment, creaming occurred in Monascus pigment double emulsion. However, it was stable against heating treatment due to heating leading to a dense network structure. It could be contributed to the practical applications of Monascus pigment double emulsions in food products.

PRIMJENA NITROFIKSIRAJUĆIH BAKTERIJA U CILJU REDUKCIJE MINERALNIH DUŠIČNIH GNOJIVA U UZGOJU ŠEĆERNE REPE

The aim of this study was to examine the possibilities of reducing the mineral nitrogen fertilizers by applying the free‐living (Azotobacter chroococcum) and associative (Azospirillum brasilense) nitrifying bacteria in the sugar beet production, without a reduction in the yield and quality of the sugar beet root. Along with the vegetables, most nitrates are collected by the species of the family Chenopodiaceae, to which the sugar beet belongs. Nitrogen is one of the most vital elements in the achievement of high yields, so it is used in large quantities in fertilization. However, it is the most unstable macroelement that flushes into the deeper soil layers, and a groundwater eutrophication is caused very often. Numerous diseases are associated with the high amounts of nitrates, nitrites, and nitroso compounds, i.e., the nitrite and nitroso compounds originating from the foodstuffs having a plant origin, water, and the cured meat products. The results of the study have demonstrated that it is possible to reduce a mineral nitrogen fertilizer quantity by using the nitrogen‐fixing bacteria while even obtaining a higher quality of the studied parameters. The nitrogen‐fixing bacteria predominate in the rhizosphere, so the plants could use the amounts of nitrogen necessary in a given vegetation period, which is not the case upon a nitrogen fertilization.

Pastırmadaki Potansiyel Bakteriyosinojenik Laktik Asit Bakterileri

Recent researches conducted have focused on the possibility of using bacteriocin produced by lactic acid bacteria both (LAB) as protective cultures and as natural antimicrobial agents in dry cured meat products such as pastirma. In the present study, 50 lactic acid bacteria strains, previously isolated from various traditional pastirma samples, were tested for their antimicrobial potentials. Determination of antagonistic activities against food-borne pathogenic strains (Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus cereus) were done by using agar-spot and well diffusion assays. Then, active isolates were identified by using 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis. According to the results, 11 of tested LAB were determined with significant bacteriocinogenic potential and these were assigned to as 1 Lactobacillus plantarum, 9 L. plantarum subsp. plantarum and 1 Pediococcus pentosaceus. In conclusion, it was reached that the isolated/identified bacteriocin-producing lactic acid bacteria strains from pastirma samples have a significant potential to prepare pure or crude bacteriocin preparations.

Investigating the Effects of Chinese Cabbage Powder as an Alternative Nitrate Source on Cured Color Development of Ground Pork Sausages.

This study investigated the effects of Chinese cabbage powder as a natural replacement for sodium nitrite on the qualities of alternatively cured pork products. Chinese cabbages grown in Korea were collected and used for preparing hot air dried powder. Different levels of Chinese cabbage powder were added to pork products and evaluated by comparing these products to those with sodium nitrite or a commercially available celery juice powder. The experimental groups included control (100 ppm sodium nitrite added), treatment 1 (0.15% Chinese cabbage powder added), treatment 2 (0.25% Chinese cabbage powder added), treatment 3 (0.35% Chinese cabbage powder added), and treatment 4 (0.4% celery juice powder added). The cooking yields and pH values of treatments 1 to 3 were significantly lower (p<0.05) than the control. However, all of the alternatively cured products were redder (higher CIE a* values; p<0.05) than the control and this result was supported from higher nitrosyl hemochrome, total pigment, and curing efficiency. Furthermore, the inclusion of vegetable powders to these products resulted in considerably less residual nitrite content. However, Chinese cabbage powder (0.25% and 0.35%) was effective in producing alternatively cured meat products with a higher curing efficiency comparable to those of the traditionally cured control or the products with celery juice powder. Therefore, Chinese cabbage powder exhibited the efficacy for use as a natural replacer for alternatively cured meat products.

Effects of radish powder concentration and incubation time on the physicochemical characteristics of alternatively cured pork products.

Previous research has indicated that radish powder could be a suitable replacement for chemical nitrite sources in alternatively cured meat products. However, the effects of radish powder level on the physicochemical properties of cured meat have not been systematically studied. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effects of varying concentrations of radish powder and incubation time on the physicochemical properties and cured meat pigments of alternatively cured meat products. We divided our experimental setup into seven groups with different radish powder concentrations and incubation times: control (0.01% sodium nitrite), treatment 1 (0.15% radish powder and 2 h incubation), treatment 2 (0.15% radish powder and 4 h incubation), treatment 3 (0.30% radish powder and 2 h incubation), treatment 4 (0.30% radish powder and 4 h incubation), treatment 5 (0.30% celery powder and 2 h incubation), and treatment 6 (0.30% celery powder and 4 h incubation). The cooking yield, CIE a* values (redness), and total pigment levels were not significantly different (p > 0.05) between any of the alternatively cured treatments and the control. However, when 0.30% radish powder or celery powder was added to the products, the CIE b* values increased significantly (p < 0.05) with incubation time. At the same vegetable concentration, the nitrite content, nitrosyl hemochrome, and curing efficiency also increased significantly (p < 0.05) as the incubation time increased from 2 to 4 h, regardless of the types of vegetable powder. Among the meat products cured with radish powder, treatment 4 showed the highest increase in residual nitrite content, nitrosyl hemochrome content, and curing efficiency, but showed decreased lipid oxidation. Our results suggest that increased concentrations of radish powder and longer incubation times would be more suitable for producing alternatively cured meat products comparable to traditionally cured products treated with synthetic nitrite.

Survival of Trichinella spiralis in cured meat products

Processing of meat is one possible approach to control meat-borne parasites. Processing methods such as freezing, cooking and irradiation are recommended for the control of Trichinella in pork, horse or game meat if specific technical conditions are fulfilled. Curing is a widely used preservation process influencing product characteristics such as shelf life, food safety, and taste. As curing methods are characterized by high parameter variability and predictions about inactivation of parasitic stages in raw meat products are difficult, curing and smoking are not recommended for Trichinella control.The objective of this study was to investigate the survival of T. spiralis in cured raw sausages taking into account water activity (aw-value), pH value, temperature, and time. For this purpose, four different types of sausage (Knackwurst, vacuum packed Knackwurst, short ripened salami, long ripened salami) were produced using T. spiralis infested batter. After production, the sausages were stored at product specific conditions for up to 35 days. During storage, pH value and aw-value of the sausages were monitored over time. Further, sausages of each type were digested using the magnetic stirrer method and the viability of the isolated larvae was assessed using a previously published larval motility test as a proxy for viability and infectivity of Trichinella larvae. In this context, we also introduce a three-level rated infectivity score (RIS) with a clear categorization scheme allowing the assessment of the infectivity of larvae.Based on the RIS, larvae isolated from the salamis were regarded as potentially infective until day 2 (short ripened salami) or day 3 (long ripened salami) post ripening, whereas in Knackwurst, potentially infective larvae were still found by day 8 post ripening. In contrast potentially infective larvae were detected in vacuum-packed Knackwurst until day 24 post ripening. Finally, using the RIS approach, data from previously published studies were collected and subjected to a correlation analysis to identify matrix factors linked to short Trichinella inactivation times.

Effect of Using Vegetable Powders as Nitrite/Nitrate Sources on the Physicochemical Characteristics of Cooked Pork Products.

This study investigated the potential for using vegetable powders as a natural replacement for sodium nitrite and their effects on the physicochemical characteristics of alternatively cured pork products. We analyzed pork products subjected to four treatments: control (0.015% sodium nitrite), Chinese cabbabe powder (CCP) treatment (0.4% Chinese cabbage powder), radish powder (RP) treatment (0.4% radish powder), and spinach powder (SP) treatment (0.4% spinach powder). Among the vegetable powders prepared in this study, SP had the highest (p<0.05) nitrate content, while CCP had the lowest (p<0.05). The cooking yields from these treatments were not significantly different from each other. However, the products with vegetable powders had higher (p<0.05) pH and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances values than the control. Pork products with vegetable powders also showed lower CIE L* values and higher CIE b* values than the nitrite-added control. RP treatment had similar (p>0.05) CIE a* values to the control, while SP treatment had the lowest (p<0.05) CIE a* values. The residual nitrite content was lower (p<0.05) in the vegetable powder added pork products than in the control, although nitrosyl hemochrome and total pigment contents in the CCP and RP treatments were similar (p>0.05) to those in the control. The control, CCP, and RP treatments showed curing efficiencies greater than 80%, indicating that CCP and RP would be promising potential replacements for sodium nitrite. The results of this study suggest that RP may be a suitable natural replacement for sodium nitrite to produce alternatively cured meat products, compared to other leafy vegetable powders.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon content in sausage smoked using a Polish traditional method.

Smoking is one of the oldest and most frequently used methods of preserving meat and its products. In Poland, smoking using a traditional method is still a commonly practised form of preserving meat products. It is conducted in smoking chambers, using a process in which the hardwood of deciduous trees with the level of humidity between 10% and 30% is burnt as the source of smoke and heat. The aim of this research was to assess the impact of selected polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) on traditionally smoked sausage, a cured meat product. The presence of PAHs in the environment and food products is undesirable due to their proven carcinogenic, mutagenic and teratogenic properties. In the present study, the level of four PAHs, which included benzo(a)pyrene, chrysene, benzo(a)antracene and benzo(b)fluoranthene, was measured using highperformanceliquid chromatography. The temperature in the furnace was maintained between 600 and 850°C. The duration of smoking was varied – 4-5, 5-6, 6-7 and 7-8 hours. Results showed that the time span of traditional smoking influences the products’ benzo(a)pyrene, benzo(a)antracene and benzo(b)fluoranthine contamination levels. The concentration of PAHs in products with the smoking time of 6-7 and 7-8 hours was higher than the concentration observed in products with a shorter smoking time. The changes in the sum of the concentrations of the four analysed PAHs resulted from the changes in the concentration of each hydrocarbon separately. Benzo(a)anthracene content was within the range of 11.17 and 14.19 μg/kg while the content of benzo(a)pyrene was between 4.15 and 7.69 μg/kg. The average value of benzo(b)fluoranthene was between 4.99 and 7.75 μg/kg. Chrysene contamination was within the range of 9.85 and 10.77 μg/kg. Moreover, it was found that the aggregate content of the analysed PAHs significantly exceeds the limits specified in European Union regulations. Since September 1, 2014, the limits were decreased to 2.0 μg/kg (benzo(a)pyrene) and 12.0 μg/kg (sum of four PAHs), respectively. The results suggest that the prolonged smoking process conducted in high temperature may be an impediment to approving the examined products for marketing. Key words: smoking, food, safety, PAHs, quality management, smoking time, traditional smoking

Effects of the Addition Levels of White Kimchi Powder and Acerola Juice Powder on the Qualities of Indirectly Cured Meat Products.

This study investigated the effects of the addition levels of white kimchi powder and acerola juice powder, as natural sources of sodium nitrite and sodium ascorbate, on the quality of cooked ground pork products. Freeze-dried white kimchi powder was prepared and used after fermentation for 2 wk. Six treatments were included: control (100 ppm sodium nitrite and 500 ppm sodium ascorbate), treatment 1 (0.2% white kimchi powder, 0.02 % starter culture, and 0.1% acerola juice powder), treatment 2 (0.2% white kimchi powder, 0.02% starter culture, and 0.2% acerola juice powder), treatment 3 (0.4% white kimchi powder, 0.04% starter culture, and 0.1% acerola juice powder), treatment 4 (0.4% white kimchi powder, 0.04% starter culture, and 0.2% acerola juice powder), and treatment 5 (0.4% celery powder, 0.04% starter culture, and 0.2% acerola juice powder). The pH values were decreased (p<0.05) because of lower pH of acerola juice powder, resulting in lower cooking yields (p<0.05) in these treatments. CIE L* and CIE a* values of indirectly cured meat products were not different (p>0.05) from the sodium nitrite-added control. However, indirectly cured meat products showed lower (p<0.05) residual nitrite contents, but higher (p<0.05) nitrosyl hemochrome contents and cure efficiency than the control. Treatments 2 and 4 had higher (p<0.05) total pigment contents and lipid oxidation than the control. This study indicates that white kimchi powder coupled with acerola juice powder has substantial potential to substitute synthetic nitrite to naturally cured meat products, which could be favored by consumers seeking clean label products.

Nitrite and nitrate content in meat products and estimated nitrite intake by the Estonian children

ABSTRACT Public interest in nitrate and nitrite content reduction in meat products has increased; therefore, the aim of the present study was to determine nitrate and nitrite levels in commercial meat products as the main source of added nitrites, and to estimate their dietary intake by children. The intake of nitrite from processed meat products and drinking water by Estonian children was estimated. Daily intake estimations were based on the food consumption data of the National Institute for Health Development. In addition, nitrite/nitrate concentrations of meat and processed meat products were measured using a liquid chromatographic method with UV detection. Mean nitrite intakes among 1087 studied children were 0.015 and 0.016 mg kg−1 b.w. day−1, respectively, among children aged 12–35 months and 3–10 years. Acceptable daily intake (ADI) of 0.07 mg nitrite kg−1 b.w. day−1 was exceeded in 3.1% of children, being more prevalent in the younger age group. Considering the consumption of processed meat and drinking water, mean nitrite intakes in the younger and the older age groups were, respectively, 21.9% and 22.9% of the ADI. Study results indicated that over a period of 10 years, children’s dietary nitrite intake from processed meat products has declined, which is probably caused by changes in food preferences and decreased usage of nitrite in cured meat products by meat industries.

Assessment of nitrate, nitrite and chloride in selected cured meat products and their exposure to school children in Brunei Darussalam

The readily available, good taste and easy to prepare cured meat products have become a prominent feature in children’s diet, leading to possible overconsumption of certain food additives. In this study, amount of nitrite, nitrate and salt, with mean values of 12.8 mg/kg, 20.2 mg/kg and 0.94 g/100 g, respectively and their intake from consumption of cured meat products (sausages, salamis, meatloaves and meatballs), were estimated for 2339 school children. The estimated salt intake for overall children was 0.53–1.01 g/day, where none of the children’s salt intake exceeded their age group’s Tolerable Upper Intake level. While the average estimated intake of nitrate and nitrite were at 0.08 mg/kg b.w/day and 0.05 mg/kg b.w/day, respectively. Based on the above estimation, ∼20% of the total children exceeded the Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) of nitrite of 0.07 mg/kg b.w/day while none of the children exceeded the ADI of nitrate of 3.7 mg/kg b.w/day.

A diet based on cured acorn-fed ham with oleic acid content promotes anti-inflammatory gut microbiota and prevents ulcerative colitis in an animal model

BackgroundDiets based on meat products are not recommended in the case of ulcerative colitis (UC). The objective here is to test if some traditional cured meat products, as acorn-fed ham (high levels of oleic acid), may be useful for controlling inflammatory diseases as UC in animal models, which could represent a new dietary complementary intervention in the prevention of this inflammatory disease in humans.MethodsTwo rat cohorts have been used: conventional vegetable rat feed and acorn-fed ham. UC was induced with DSS in drinking water ad libitum for 1 week. Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) and 16S rRNA metagenomics from bacterial populations were analyzed in cecum samples. Colon samples were analyzed for histological parameters.ResultsAcorn-fed ham diet induced changes in gut microbiota composition, with pronounced enrichments in anti-inflammatory bacterial genera (Alistipes, Blautia, Dorea, Parabacteroides). The animals with this diet showed a strong reduction in most parameters associated to ulcerative colitis: disease activity index, macroscopic score of colitis, epitelium alteration in colon mucosa, inflammatory cell density in colon, myeloperoxidase titers in colon, proinflammatory cytokines (IL-17, IFN-γ). Also, acorn-fed ham diet animals showed increased total antioxidant activity an oleic acid levels in plasma, as well as higher short-chain fatty acid concentrations in cecum (isobutyric, isovaleric and valeric).ConclusionsIn the acorn-fed ham cohort, as a result of the dietary intake of oleic acid and low intake of omega-6 fatty acids, a strong preventive effect against UC symptoms was observed.

The determination of meat species by PCR-RFLP method using mitochondrial ND4 gene in pastırma, a traditional dry cured meat product

Pastirma is a high value, traditional, dry cured, and edible coated meat product. For economic and sociocultural reasons, it is important to know which meat species are used in pastirma. The present study aims to carry out the determination of the meat species in pastirma. A total of 144 pastirma samples were collected from different stores. After genomic DNA isolation, the total DNAs obtained were subjected to polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using specially designed novel primers amplifying the mitochondrial ND4 (MTND4) gene region, specific for cattle (Bos taurus), water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis), horse (Equus caballus), and donkey (Equus asinus) species. For the identification of the meat species, gel purified 952 bp PCR products were digested with fast digest SaqAI restriction enzymes selected based on preliminary in silico analyses. The results of the present study revealed that all of the pastirma samples were made from cattle meat. Cross-reactions and false-positive identifications are serious problems in routine determination of the meat species in food control laboratories. It is important to perform fast, inexpensive determination with high sensitivity and specificity for the identification of meat species. This study has shown that meat species can be detected with high specificity in products such as pastirma, which uses large pieces of meat cuts.

The effects of a 3-month nutrition intervention on dietary habits and weight change in hospitalized schizophrenic patients with metabolic syndrome

AbstractIntroduction: Schizophrenic patients are more likely to develop metabolic syndrome (MetS) than the general population. Although the exact reasons for higher MetS prevalence are not yet been fully determined, poor dietary habits may contribute to its development. This study aims to examine the effects of a 3-month nutrition intervention on dietary habits and weight change in hospitalized schizophrenic patients with MetS.Materials and Methods: Seventy-nine hospitalized schizophrenic patients with MetS (aged 18–67) were enrolled in a 3-month randomized controlled trial. Sixty-seven of initially enrolled patients (84.8%) completed the intervention. Participants were randomly assigned to an intervention group (IG; n = 33) or a control group (CG; n = 34). The IG followed the DASH diet (-400 kcal/day when compared to regular hospital diet), the CG continued being on a regular hospital diet (2200–2400 kcal/day), while both groups participated in a nutrition educational program (4 lectures about the development of healthier eating habits). Prior and after the intervention, body weight (BW) was measured and dietary habits were assessed using the nutrition section of Dlugosch &amp; Krieger's General Health Behaviour Questionnaire. Participants also kept a diary of food individually purchased.Results: Nutrition intervention positively modulated the dietary habits and BW of both groups. After 3 months, in the IG, the consumption of white bread (p &lt; 0.001), pastries (p &lt; 0.001), cured meat products (p &lt; 0.001), sweets (p = 0.003), and carbonated soft drinks (p = 0.009) significantly decreased, while the consumption of whole-wheat bread (p &lt; 0.001), fruits (p &lt; 0.001), nuts (p &lt; 0.001), and vegetables (p &lt; 0.001) significantly increased, when compared to the baseline data. Simultaneously, in the CG, the identified modifications mainly referred to a decreased consumption of snacks (p = 0.042) and fast food (p = 0.005), together with an increased consumption of low-fat milk and dairy products (p = 0.019) and vegetables (p = 0.003). Furthermore, results have shown that, compared to the CG, IG significantly improved dietary habits by decreasing the consumption frequency of white bread (p &lt; 0.001), cured meat products (p &lt; 0.001), and sweets (p = 0.043), while at the same time significantly increasing the consumption frequency of whole-wheat bread (p &lt; 0.001), low-fat milk and dairy products (p &lt; 0.001), fruits (p &lt; 0.001), nuts (p &lt; 0.001), and vegetables (p &lt; 0.001). After 3 months, BW significantly decreased in IG (p &lt; 0.001) and CG (p = 0.018), but with no significant difference between respective groups (p = 0.943).Discussion: The findings suggest that this type of a 3-month nutrition intervention could be a valuable tool for an improvement of dietary habits and potentially an add-on therapy to reduce the MetS prevalence and the overall cardiovascular risk in schizophrenic patients.

CHEMICAL COMPOSITION AND MICROBIAL SAFETY OF PORK MEAT PRODUCTS ORIGINATING FROM HERZEGOVINA

Th is paper presents the results of chemical composition and microbiological safety testing of dry cured meat products, fermented and semi-dry or pasteurized sausages produced by several meat industries from Herzegovina. In the period from 2016 to 2018, a total of 85 meat products were sampled.Th ese included 20 samples of fermented pork sausages, 10 samples of dry-cured pork loin, 5 samples of dry-cured pork neck and 50 samples of heat-treated sausages. Quality control testing of the samples included determination of meat protein, crude fat, moisture, sodium nitrite and polyphosphates content in sausages, using standard analytical methods. It was confi rmed that all analysed samples meet the requirements in terms of chemical composition, level of additives and microbiological safety. In comparison with dry cured meat products and sausages analyses results, with minimum requirements that are set forth in regulations for that product category. Th e above mentioned suggests that the analysed samples are good quality products and they are in compliance with the regulations.

Ameliorative Roles of Exogenous Testosterone on Nitrite Damaged Testes and Sperm Parameters

Background: Nitrate (NO3) is a common food additive used as a colour fixation and preservative in meats and fish. Human dietary exposure to NO2 is mostly through the inter-conversion of NO3 from vegetables, cured meat products, fresh meat, fish, dairy products, eggs and water intake. This experiment was designed to investigate to what extent exogenous testosterone (T) ameliorates the destructive effects of nitrite (NO2) on rats’ testes and sperm parameters. Methods: Thirty-five adult male Wistar rats weighed between 100g – 111g was used for the experiment. Rats were divided into 7 groups, for each group n =5. Group A received distilled water, group B1 C1 and D1 received 0.04mg/kgbw, 0.06mg/kgbw and 0.08mg/kgbw of NO2 respectively in total volume of 1ml distilled water for 60 days. Groups B2, C2 and D2 also received 0.04mg/kgbw, 0.06mg/kgbw and 0.08mg/kgbw of NO2 respectively followed by intra-muscular injection of testosterone (Andriol Testocaps) at 5mg/kgbw, 7.5mg/kgbw and 10mg/kgbw respectively every other day for 3 weeks Results: The quality of testicular cells was implicated by oral administration of NO2; distorted or deformed seminiferous tubules with loss of germinal cells were evident. Meanwhile, the NO2/T -treated testes showed normal tubular structures with complete spermatogenesis except at high dose of 0.08mg which showed mild vacuolation and arrested spermatogenesis. Consequently, the sperm counts was reduced significantly (P&gt;0.05) following increased NO2 concentrations. However, the sperm counts of NO2/T-treated testes were statistically increased (P&lt; 0.05) at dose dependent manner. The number of motile sperms of the testes exposed to NO2 was decreased insignificantly, meanwhile, NO2/T-treated-testes were found to be increased insignificantly (P&gt;0.05) . Conclusion: The reactive oxygen species triggered by NO2 generated testicular oxidative stress, spermato-genesis disruption and histological damages within the period of 60 days of ingestion. Meanwhile, these possible toxicological effects caused by NO2 could be effectively reversed using androgen hormone (testosterone) therapy within the period tested according to the present study.

Green Alternatives to Synthetic Antioxidants, Antimicrobials, Nitrates, and Nitrites in Clean Label Spanish Chorizo.

Natural extracts obtained from fruit and vegetable processing are important sources of phenolic compounds and nitrates, with excellent antioxidant and antimicrobial properties. The aim of this study was to characterize and determine the antioxidant and antimicrobial capacity of several natural extracts (citric (Ct), acerola (Ac), rosemary (R), paprika, garlic, oregano, beet (B), lettuce (L), arugula (A), spinach (S), chard (Ch), celery (Ce), and watercress (W)), both in vitro and applied to a cured meat product (chorizo). For that, the volatile compounds by GC-MS and microbial growth were determined. The total phenolic and nitrate contents were measured and related with their antioxidant capacity (measured by DPPH, ABTS, FRAP, and ORAC methods) and antimicrobial capacity against Clostridium perfringens growth in vitro. In order to study the antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of the extracts in food, their properties were also measured in Spanish chorizo enriched with these natural extracts. R and Ct showed the highest antioxidant capacity, however, natural nitrate sources (B, L, A, S, Ch, Ce, and W) also presented excellent antimicrobial activity against C. perfringens. The incorporation of these extracts as preservatives in Spanish chorizo also presented excellent antioxidant and antimicrobial capacities and could be an excellent strategy in order to produce clean label dry-cured meat products.

Impact and tissue metabolism of nitrite at two acclimation temperatures in striped catfish (Pangasianodon hypophthalmus)

Elevated concentrations of nitrite develop occasionally in various aquatic habitats and aquaculture facilities, providing a potential danger for freshwater fish that take up nitrite via the gill chloride uptake mechanism. We studied the uptake, effects and metabolism of nitrite in blood, heart and skeletal muscle at two temperatures in striped catfish Pangasianodon hypophthalmus, a facultative air-breathing fish that is heavily cultivated in Southeast Asia. Exposure to 0.8 mM ambient nitrite increased blood [nitrite] and [methaemoglobin] (metHb) to high values at day 1, but values subsequently decreased towards controls at day 7. Blood [nitrite] and metHb content were unexpectedly higher at 27 °C (∼1.2 mM; 69% at day 1) than at 33 °C (∼0.9 mM; 55%), reflecting a lower nitrite uptake at the highest temperature, possibly via an increased reliance on air-breathing relative to water-breathing with temperature increase. A large fraction of the nitrite taken up was effectively eliminated by being detoxified to nitrate. Further, erythrocyte metHb reductase activity was increased during nitrite exposure, efficiently reducing metHb to functional haemoglobin. The uptake of nitrite into white skeletal musculature (main part of the fish) was much lower than into heart tissue. While heart [nitrite] was close to blood plasma levels, muscle [nitrite] peaked at ∼0.2 mM at day 1 and subsequently declined to ∼0.05 mM at day 7, which is below levels reported in various commercial cured meat products. Nitrite was partly metabolized to iron-nitrosyl, S-nitroso and N-nitroso compounds. The increase in nitros(yl)ated compounds was marginal in skeletal muscle and more pronounced in heart tissue.

Impact of electron-beam irradiation on the quality characteristics of raw ground beef

Abstract The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of different irradiation doses (0–4.5 kGy) on the quality of raw ground beef. The results showed a significant increase in lipid oxidation and protein oxidation after irradiation, and color fading was observed only at 4.5 kGy irradiation. The increasing spermidine did not trigger any food safety panic button in irradiated raw ground beef, but this issue should be taken into consideration in irradiated cured meat products. Electronic tongue detected higher saltiness in irradiated meat due to increased drip loss by irradiation. Due to the synergistic effect of saltiness on umami, an unexpected increase in umami taste was observed at 4.5 kGy. Dimethyl disulfide produced from the sulfur-containing amino acids, the major irradiation processing biomarker, was only detected at 4.5 kGy irradiation. Thus, electron beam irradiation

Genetic variability of Nero Lucano pig breed at IGF2, LEP, MC4R, PIK3C3, RYR1 and VRTN loci

The Nero Lucano pig is a native breed of Southern Italy which thanks to the joint action of Basilicata Region Institutions, University of Basilicata and breeders returned to populate the area of origin. In order to characterise and to monitor the variability present in the population, we genotyped 229 animals at 12 polymorphic loci located in the following genes: IGF2, LEP, MC4R, PIK3C3, RYR1 and VRTN. According to the results three loci (IGF2 209G>C, PIK3C3 2058A>G and RYR1 1843C>T) did not show variability, while the others showed genotype distributions in agreement with Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium and a minor allele frequency ranging from 0.022 for MC4R 892A to 0.479 for PIK3C3 2604T alleles. The IGF2, MC4R and VRTN loci were characterised by very low frequencies (from 0.02 to 0.05) of the alleles that are associated with favourable productive characteristics in cosmopolitan breeds.HighlightsAnalyses of the genetic variability of Nero Lucano pig population useful for meat production selection plans.The IGF2, MC4R and VRTN loci of Nero Lucano pig show very low frequencies of alleles associated with positive effects on meat production.The Nero Lucano pig can be considered as free from Malignant Hyperthermia, a positive result for the quality of cured meat products.