Muscle Food Products Research Articles

Amazon Fruits as Healthy Ingredients in Muscle Food Products: A Review.

When looking for new ingredients to process red meat, poultry, and fish products, it is essential to consider using vegetable resources that can replace traditional ingredients such as animal fat and synthetic antioxidants that may harm health. The Amazon, home to hundreds of edible fruit species, can be a viable alternative for new ingredients in processing muscle food products. These fruits have gained interest for their use as natural antioxidants, fat replacers, colorants, and extenders. Some of the fruits that have been tested include açai, guarana, annatto, cocoa bean shell, sacha inchi oil, and peach palm. Studies have shown that these fruits can be used as dehydrated products or as liquid or powder extracts in doses between 250 and 500 mg/kg as antioxidants. Fat replacers can be added directly as flour or used to prepare emulsion gels, reducing up to 50% of animal fat without any detrimental effects. However, oxidation problems of the gels suggest that further investigation is needed by incorporating adequate antioxidant levels. In low doses, Amazon fruit byproducts such as colorants and extenders have been shown to have positive technological and sensory effects on muscle food products. While evidence suggests that these fruits have beneficial health effects, their in vitro and in vivo nutritional effects should be evaluated in muscle food products containing these fruits. This evaluation needs to be intended to identify safe doses, delay the formation of key oxidation compounds that directly affect health, and investigate other factors related to health.

The potential of anthocyanin-loaded alginate hydrogel beads for intelligent packaging applications: Stability and sensitivity to volatile amines

pH indicators have emerged as promising tools for real-time monitoring of product freshness and quality in intelligent food packaging applications. However, ensuring the stability of these indicators is critical for practical use. This study aims to evaluate the stability of anthocyanins-loaded alginate hydrogel beads of varying sizes at different temperatures under accelerated light conditions and relative humidity (RH) levels of 53% and 97% during 21 days of storage. Moreover, their sensitivity to the principal spoilage volatiles of muscle food products such as ammonia (NH3), dimethylamine (DMA) and trimethylamine (TMA) was investigated. The half-life of cyanidin-3-glucoside in small hydrogel beads was roughly twice as long as that of the larger beads under accelerated light exposure at 4 °C and they were less likely to undergo noticeable color changes over time. Both sizes of hydrogel beads stored at 97% RH and 4 °C showed color stability over the 21-day period with minimal color variation (|ΔE| ≤ 3). The UV–vis spectra of the purple corn extract exhibited changes across pH 2 to 12, as evidenced by the visible color variations, ranging from pink to green. The limit of detection (LOD) for NH3 was 25 ppm for small beads and 15 ppm for large ones. Both types of beads exhibited similar LOD for DMA and TMA, around 48 ppm. This research showed that alginate hydrogel beads containing anthocyanins from purple corn are a viable option for developing intelligent packaging of muscle foods. Furthermore, the use of hydrogel beads of different sizes can be customized to specific muscle foods based on the primary spoilage compound generated during spoilage.

Lipid oxidation and antioxidant delivery systems in muscle food.

Lipid oxidation accelerates quality deterioration in muscle-based foods (fish, red meat, and poultry), resulting in off-odors/flavors, color problems, texture defects, and safety concerns. Adding antioxidants is one approach to control lipid oxidation, and several delivery strategies have been applied, such as supplementing antioxidants to the feed, direct mixing into minces, or, for whole muscle pieces; spraying, glazing, and injection. However, some issues linked to these technologies hinder their wide utilization, such as low effectiveness, noncompatibility with clean label, and off-flavor. These shortcomings have promoted the development of new antioxidant delivery technologies. In this review, the main focus is on the principles, characteristics, and implementation of five novel antioxidant delivery methods in different types of muscle food products. Their advantages and drawbacks are also summarized, plus comments about future trends in this area. Among novel routes to deliver antioxidants to muscle foods are, for whole tissues, recyclable dipping solutions; for minces, encapsulation; and, for both minces and whole tissues, cross-processing with nonmuscle antioxidant-containing raw materials as well as applications of edible films/coatings and active packaging. Advantages of these technologies comprise, for example, low price, the possibility to control the antioxidant release rate, overcoming strong aromas from natural antioxidants, and allowing antioxidant-containing raw materials from the food industry to be valorized, providing an opportunity for more circular food production.

Edible Mushrooms as Functional Ingredients for Development of Healthier and More Sustainable Muscle Foods: A Flexitarian Approach

Consumers are increasingly interested in nutritious, safe and healthy muscle food products with reduced salt and fat that benefit their well-being. Hence, food processors are constantly in search of natural bioactive ingredients that offer health benefits beyond their nutritive values without affecting the quality of the products. Mushrooms are considered as next-generation healthy food components. Owing to their low content of fat, high-quality proteins, dietary fibre and the presence of nutraceuticals, they are ideally preferred in formulation of low-caloric functional foods. There is a growing trend to fortify muscle food with edible mushrooms to harness their goodness in terms of nutritive, bioactive and therapeutic values. The incorporation of mushrooms in muscle foods assumes significance, as it is favourably accepted by consumers because of its fibrous structure that mimics the texture with meat analogues offering unique taste and umami flavour. This review outlines the current knowledge in the literature about the nutritional richness, functional bioactive compounds and medicinal values of mushrooms offering various health benefits. Furthermore, the effects of functional ingredients of mushrooms in improving the quality and sensory attributes of nutritionally superior and next-generation healthier muscle food products are also highlighted in this paper.

Application of Pomegranate by-Products in Muscle Foods: Oxidative Indices, Colour Stability, Shelf Life and Health Benefits.

In recent years, considerable importance is given to the use of agrifood wastes as they contain several groups of substances that are useful for development of functional foods. As muscle foods are prone to lipid and protein oxidation and perishable in nature, the industry is in constant search of synthetic free additives that help in retarding the oxidation process, leading to the development of healthier and shelf stable products. The by-products or residues of pomegranate fruit (seeds, pomace, and peel) are reported to contain bioactive compounds, including phenolic and polyphenolic compounds, dietary fibre, complex polysaccharides, minerals, vitamins, etc. Such compounds extracted from the by-products of pomegranate can be used as functional ingredients or food additives to harness the antioxidant, antimicrobial potential, or as substitutes for fat, and protein in various muscle food products. Besides, these natural additives are reported to improve the quality, safety, and extend the shelf life of different types of food products, including meat and fish. Although studies on application of pomegranate by-products on various foods are available, their effect on the physicochemical, oxidative changes, microbial, colour stabilizing, sensory acceptability, and shelf life of muscle foods are not comprehensively discussed previously. In this review, we vividly discuss these issues, and highlight the benefits of pomegranate by-products and their phenolic composition on human health.

Conjugated Fatty Acids in Muscle Food Products and Their Potential Health Benefits: A Review.

Conjugated fatty acids (CFAs) are a group of positional and geometric isomers of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) with conjugated double bonds. There are several subgroups of CFAs including conjugated linoleic acids (CLAs), conjugated linolenic acids (CLNAs), conjugated eicosapentaenoic acids (CEPAs), and conjugated docosahexaenoic acids (CDHAs). CFAs, especially CLAs, have been studied in recent years both for their health benefits and factors that affect their level in muscle food products. CFAs have been reported in numerous studies as having antitumor, antiobesity, antidiabetes, anticardiovascular disease, and modulating immune system effects. These biological activies are involved in changes of lipid peroxidation and energy expenditure, as well as inhibitory effects on the hormone receptor, lipid metabolism, lipoprotein lipase activity, and adiponectin production. A large body of studies has revealed that the diet, processing, storage conditions, slaughter season, and age are common factors that affect CFA content in muscle food products, as detailed in this review. Recommendations are made regarding animal farming and meat product processing to obtain high CFA content meat products and to optimize the benefits of CFA for health promotion.

Monitoring Thermal and Non-Thermal Treatments during Processing of Muscle Foods: A Comprehensive Review of Recent Technological Advances

Muscle food products play a vital role in human nutrition due to their sensory quality and high nutritional value. One well-known challenge of such products is the high perishability and limited shelf life unless suitable preservation or processing techniques are applied. Thermal processing is one of the well-established treatments that has been most commonly used in order to prepare food and ensure its safety. However, the application of inappropriate or severe thermal treatments may lead to undesirable changes in the sensory and nutritional quality of heat-processed products, and especially so for foods that are sensitive to thermal treatments, such as fish and meat and their products. In recent years, novel thermal treatments (e.g., ohmic heating, microwave) and non-thermal processing (e.g., high pressure, cold plasma) have emerged and proved to cause less damage to the quality of treated products than do conventional techniques. Several traditional assessment approaches have been extensively applied in order to evaluate and monitor changes in quality resulting from the use of thermal and non-thermal processing methods. Recent advances, nonetheless, have shown tremendous potential of various emerging analytical methods. Among these, spectroscopic techniques have received considerable attention due to many favorable features compared to conventional analysis methods. This review paper will provide an updated overview of both processing (thermal and non-thermal) and analytical techniques (traditional methods and spectroscopic ones). The opportunities and limitations will be discussed and possible directions for future research studies and applications will be suggested.

Application of Novel Techniques for Monitoring Quality Changes in Meat and Fish Products during Traditional Processing Processes: Reconciling Novelty and Tradition

In this review, we summarize the most recent advances in monitoring changes induced in fish and other seafood, and meat and meat products, following the application of traditional processing processes by means of conventional and emerging advanced techniques. Selected examples from the literature covering relevant applications of spectroscopic methods (i.e., visible and near infrared (VIS/NIR), mid-infrared (MIR), Raman, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and fluorescence) will be used to illustrate the topics covered in this review. Although a general reluctance toward using and adopting new technologies in traditional production sectors causes a relatively low interest in spectroscopic techniques, the recently published studies have pointed out that these techniques could be a powerful tool for the non-destructive monitoring and process optimization during the production of muscle food products.

Evaluation of lipid oxidation and volatile compounds of traditional dry‐cured pork belly: The hyperspectral imaging and multi‐gas‐sensory approaches

AbstractThis study examined the feasibility of using hyperspectral imaging (HSI) to predict thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) values as by‐products of lipid oxidation during traditional processing of dry‐cured meat. Using the spectral data of HSI and reference values of TBARS, models based on partial least square regression were tested. Prediction outcomes, Rp = 0.71, RMSEP = 1.10 and Rp = 0.77, RMSEP = 0.97 were obtained after preprocessing with first and second derivatives (second‐order polynomial), respectively. Preprocessing with standard normal variate, and multiplicative scatter correction yielded lower values, Rp = 0.64, RMSEP = 1.21 and Rp = 0.52, RMSEP = 1.40, respectively. Results obtained indicated that the HSI was capable of monitoring TBARS values as a lipid oxidation index during meat processing. Volatile fingerprint results for all processing phases were also obtained following analysis by gas chromatography (GC) coupled to ion mobility spectrometry (IMS) and a mass spectrometry (MS) detector. The MS was deployed to provide names and proportions of the volatile components while IMS was used to visualize the topographic maps of the individual volatile components. The GC‐IMS proved to be very versatile considering the little time it required to identify the volatile fingerprints of the various samples.Practical applicationsThe conventional methods for determining lipid oxidation in meat are highly destructive and time‐consuming and require the use of hazardous chemicals. This study evaluated the feasibility of the hyperspectral imaging (HSI) and gas chromatography coupled to ion mobility spectrometry (GC‐IMS) and a mass spectrometry detector to rapidly predict thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) and analyze volatile components during lipid oxidation. The HSI was successful in predicting TBARS values as by‐products of oxidation. The results obtained proved that the methods presented can be useful for industries to simultaneously estimate various quality attributes of samples to save time, labor, and cost, which reflects economic importance. Additionally, the recurrence of hexanal during analysis volatile compounds means industries should be mindful of it as it acts as a marker for lipid oxidation in muscle food products. Finally, the topographic plots generated by the GC‐IMS are also very useful for easy differentiation of samples.

Regulation of lipid deposition in farm animals: Parallels between agriculture and human physiology.

For many years, clinically oriented scientists and animal scientists have focused on lipid metabolism and fat deposition in various fat depots. While dealing with a common biology across species, the goals of biomedical and food animals lipid metabolism research differ in emphasis. In humans, mechanisms and regulation of fat synthesis, accumulation of fat in regional fat depots, lipid metabolism and dysmetabolism in adipose, liver and cardiac tissues have been investigated. Further, energy balance and weight control have also been extensively explored in humans. Finally, obesity and associated maladies including high cholesterol and atherosclerosis, cardiovascular disease, insulin resistance, hypertension, metabolic syndrome and health outcomes have been widely studied. In food animals, the emphasis has been on regulation of fatty acid synthesis and lipid deposition in fat depots and deposition of intramuscular fat. For humans, understanding the regulation of energy balance and body weight and of prevention or treatment of obesity and associated maladies have been important clinical outcomes. In production of food animals lowering fat content in muscle foods while enhancing intramuscular fat (marbling) have been major targets. In this review, we summarize how our laboratories have addressed the goal of providing lean but yet tasty and juicy muscle food products to consumers. In addition, we here describe efforts in the development of a new porcine model to study regulation of fat metabolism and obesity. Commonalities and differences in regulation of lipid metabolism between humans, rodents and food animals are emphasized throughout this review.

Bael Pulp Residue as a New Source of Antioxidant Dietary Fiber in Goat Meat Nuggets

The present study was carried out to evaluate the antioxidant potential of bael (Aegle marmelos L.) pulp residue (BPR) and its influence at two different levels (i.e., 0.25 and 0.5%) as an antioxidant dietary fiber on the quality of goat meat nuggets. The antioxidant potential (total phenolics, radical-scavenging activity and ferric reducing antioxidant power) and dietary fiber content of BPR were evaluated. The results showed that BPR contained good amount of total phenolics (15.16 mg GAE/g dry weight) and dietary fiber (56.91%). The addition of BPR significantly improved the emulsion stability, cooking yield, ash, total phenolics and dietary fiber of the meat products. BPR decreased (P < 0.05) the hardness, gumminess and chewiness and improved (P < 0.05) the products’ lightness and redness values. Sensory evaluation of the products revealed significant improvement in the appearance score and nonsignificant (P > 0.05) increase in the score of other attributes. BPR decreased lipid peroxidation and microbial counts in meat products during 21 days of storage period. The results demonstrated that BPR, which is rich in bioactive components such as phenolic compounds and dietary fiber, could be used as an antioxidant dietary fiber in muscle food products without affecting its quality and acceptability. Practical Applications In the food sector, processing of healthier meat products is one of the fastest growing components. Numerous studies have shown that incorporation of dietary fibers in meat products improves various physicochemical and functional characteristics as well as physiological value. The influence of dietary fiber on human health is now widely acknowledged by various researchers and health agencies. Supplementation of antioxidant dietary fiber in meat products can be helpful in improving their various quality characteristics and oxidative stability, besides furnishing the bioactive components to the consumers. Therefore, bael pulp residue, a valuable bioactive ingredient, could be used in meat product processing to satisfy both nutritionists and consumers. Additionally, it can be worthy in maintaining the product quality during storage for a longer period of time.

EFFECT OF VARIOUS ANTIOXIDANTS ON THE OXIDATIVE STABILITY OF ACID AND ALKALI SOLUBILIZED MUSCLE PROTEIN ISOLATES

Protein isolates prepared from cod (Gadus morhua) myofibrillar proteins using acid or alkali solubilization are susceptible to oxidative rancidity. Oxidation could be delayed by the exogenous addition of antioxidants. The objective of this research was to compare the efficacy of antioxidants such as δ-tocopherol, butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) and propyl gallate, to inhibit oxidation in acid- and alkali- solubilized cod protein isolates. Oxidation was catalyzed using cod hemolysate. Oxidation of lipids was monitored by the measurement of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances and painty odor. Results showed that protein isolates prepared using the acid process was significantly (P BHA > δ-tocopherol. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS Research has shown that seafood available for human consumption is rapidly getting depleted and that many fish species may become extinct in the next half-century or so. Acid and alkali solubilization methods are recent but well-known techniques used for preparing protein isolates from under-utilized aquatic species and the by-products of seafood industry. Although numerous researchers have studied the use of acid and alkali processes on several sources of seafood, almost no research has been done on the use of antioxidants to protect protein isolates from lipid oxidation. In our research, we have studied the effect of various antioxidants on the oxidative stability of acid- and alkali-solubilized fish myofibrillar proteins. The results from this work will enable the seafood industry to properly identify the process and the type of antioxidants required for making muscle food products with increased oxidative stability.

Comparison of Minolta colorimeter and machine vision system in measuring colour of irradiated Atlantic salmon

AbstractBACKGROUND: Minolta and machine vision are two different instrumental techniques used for measuring the colour of muscle food products. Between these two techniques, machine vision has many advantages, such as its ability to determine L*, a*, b* values for each pixel of a sample's image and to analyse the entire surface of a food regardless of surface uniformity and colour variation. The objective of this study was to measure the colour of irradiated Atlantic salmon fillets using a hand‐held Minolta colorimeter and a machine vision system and to compare their performance.RESULTS: The L*, a*, b* values of Atlantic salmon fillets subjected to different electron beam doses (0, 1, 1.5, 2 and 3 kGy) were measured using a Minolta CR‐200 Chroma Meter and a machine vision system. For both Minolta and machine vision the L* value increased and the a* and b* values decreased with increasing irradiation dose. However, the machine vision system showed significantly higher readings for L*, a*, b* values than the Minolta colorimeter. Because of this difference, colours that were actually measured by the two instruments were illustrated for visual comparison. Minolta readings resulted in a purplish colour based on average L*, a*, b* values, while machine vision readings resulted in an orange colour, which was expected for Atlantic salmon fillets.CONCLUSION: The Minolta colorimeter and the machine vision system were very close in reading the standard red plate with known L*, a*, b* values. Hence some caution is recommended in reporting colour values measured by Minolta, even when the ‘reference’ tiles are measured correctly. The reason for this discrepancy in colour readings for salmon is not known and needs further investigation. Copyright © 2009 Society of Chemical Industry

Raman Spectroscopy for Monitoring Protein Structure in Muscle Food Systems

Raman spectroscopy offers structural information about complex solid systems such as muscle food proteins. This spectroscopic technique is a powerful and a non-invasive method for the study of protein changes in secondary structure, mainly quantified, analysing the amide I (1650–1680 cm− 1) and amide III (1200–1300 cm− 1) regions and C-C stretching band (940 cm− 1), as well as modifications in protein local environments (tryptophan residues, tyrosil doublet, aliphatic aminoacids bands) of muscle food systems. Raman spectroscopy has been used to determine structural changes in isolated myofibrillar and connective tissue proteins by the addition of different compounds and by the effect of the conservation process such as freezing and frozen storage. It has been also shown that Raman spectroscopy is particularly useful for monitoring in situ protein structural changes in muscle food during frozen storage. Besides, the possibilities of using protein structural changes of intact muscle to predict the protein functional properties and the sensory attributes of muscle foods have been also investigated. In addition, the application of Raman spectroscopy to study changes in the protein structure during the elaboration of muscle food products has been demonstrated.

Thermal effects on chicken and salmon muscles: Tenderness, cook loss, area shrinkage, collagen solubility and microstructure

The objective of this study was to gain insight into the mechanisms underlying heating-induced tenderness in muscle food products by comparing tenderness changes in chicken breast ( Pectoralis major) and salmon ( Oncorhynchus gorbuscha) during high-temperature treatment. Relationships among changes in chicken breast and pink salmon muscle were investigated for tenderness, cook loss, area shrinkage, collagen solubility and microstructure. Small white muscle samples (D 30 mm×H 6 mm) cut from pink salmon fillets and chicken breast were sealed in small aluminum containers (internal dimension: D 35 mm×H 6 mm) and heated in an oil bath at 121.1 °C for different time intervals up to 2 h to simulate various thermal process durations. The changes in salmon tenderness had 4 phases (rapid toughening, rapid tenderizing, slow toughening and slow tenderizing), while that of the chicken breast only had 2 phases (rapid tenderizing and slow tenderizing). Twenty minutes was found to be a critical heating time in which >85% collagen was solubilized and shear force reached a minimum. Cook loss and area shrinkage were significantly ( P<0.05) correlated with shear force change for both the salmon and chicken, while collagen solubility was only significant for the chicken.

Evaluation of Various Ammonia Assays for Testing of Contaminated Muscle Food Products

The indophenol method, ammonia ion selective electrode (ISE), Reflectoquant(R) test strips, and salicylate methods were evaluated to determine those that can be used for in-plant rapid testing of meat contaminated by ammonia refrigerant leaks. Ground eye of round beef samples were spiked with 25, 50, 100, or 200 ppm ammonia as (N) and the amounts recovered were corrected for typical background levels. The recovery of ammonia from spiked meat filtrates by ISE ranged from 98.3% to 100%+/- 2%, and the recovery of ammonia from spiked meat samples by ISE-perchloric acid method ranged from 90% to 110%+/- 8%. The measurement of ammonia in spiked meat samples by the Reflectoquant test strips ranged from 77.4% to 96.9%, but the standard deviation was higher than 14%. The recovery using the salicylate methods was less than 63% when meat samples were spiked with 25 or 50 ppm ammonia. Both indophenol and ammonia ISE are precise, give excellent recovery, and can be used for testing ammonia contamination in meat. Ammonia background levels of various commercial meat products was determined using the ammonia ISE and ranged from 87 to 166 ppm.

COMBINING ANTIMICROBIALS AND HYDRODYNAMIC PRESSURE PROCESSING FOR CONTROL OF LISTERIA MONOCYTOGENES IN FRANKFURTERS*

ABSTRACT The safety of ready‐to‐eat meat products such as frankfurters can be enhanced by antimicrobials and postpackaging treatment to control the growth of Listeria monocytogenes. We evaluated the effectiveness of dipping frankfurters in sodium lactate (SL), sodium diacetate (SD) and nisin (N) solutions, followed by hydrodynamic pressure processing (HDP), to control L. monocytogenes during storage at 4C for 28 days. Frankfurters were surface inoculated with a five‐strain mixture of L. monocytogenes after dipping in (1) control (sterile water), (2) 10% SL, (3) 5% SD, (4) SL + SD, (5) N (5000 IU/mL), (6) N + SL, (7) N + SD and (8) N + SL + SD for 5 min. The frankfurters were vacuum packed and were either treated with or without hydrodynamic pressure. The frankfurters were periodically analyzed for populations of L. monocytogenes on modified Oxford agar, aerobic cell populations on tryptic soy agar with 0.6% yeast extract and pH on days 0, 7, 14 and 28. HDP treatment significantly reduced L. monocytogenes populations in frankfurters. Dipping treatments containing N showed greater L. monocytogenes reduction than that with SL and/or SD treatment; however, the difference was not significant. The combination of N and HDP treatment resulted in more than 2 log cfu/g reduction in L. monocytogenes populations after 28‐days storage. A synergistic effect between N and HDP was observed for inhibition of L. monocytogenes. The reduction in aerobic cell populations during storage of antimicrobials and HDP‐treated frankfurters was similar to that of L. monocytogenes. These results indicate that using N as a dipping treatment followed by HDP treatment is more effective for inhibition of the pathogen during storage at 4C.PRACTICAL APPLICATIONSHydrodynamic pressure processing, an innovative post‐harvest technology for meat tenderization, uses a high‐energy explosive to generate a supersonic shock wave in a liquid medium. HDP treatment, primarily studied for tenderness improvement in muscle food products, has been effective in reducing bacterial populations in meats. Nisin has greater antilisterial activity than sodium lactate or sodium diacetate. Dipping frankfurters in nisin followed by the hydrodynamic pressure treatment could be used to reduce 2 log L. monocytogenes populations in frankfurters during storage at 4C.

THERMAL GELATION PROPERTIES OF MYOFIBRILLAR PROTEIN AND GELATIN COMBINATIONS

ABSTRACT Partially purified myofibrillar protein was prepared from post‐rigor beef muscle tissue. Gelation properties of myofibrillar protein (6–12%), commercial gelatin (1–12%) and combinations of gelatin and myofibrillar (8–12% protein) were compared. Gels were prepared by combining protein, buffer and 2% NaCl with appropriate volumes of water and heating to 70C at 1.4C/min. Samples were cooled to 4C and gel characteristics were evaluated using texture profile analyses. Gel strength increased as protein concentration increased in pure myofibrillar or pure gelatin gels. However, gelatin plus myofibrillar combinations were weaker than gels consisting of either protein alone at similar protein concentrations. The negative impact on gel strength of myofibrillar‐gelatin combinations suggests that the two proteins gel by different and apparently incompatible mechanisms producing an overall gel‐weakening effect. These results indicate that adding gelatin can be detrimental to gel characteristics of muscle food products.

Determination of volatile biogenic amines in muscle food products by ion mobility spectrometry

The extent of spoilage of muscle food products was determined through measurement of volatile biogenic amines that emanated from food samples. The release of the amines was enhanced by addition of a few drops of an alkaline solution and the amines were monitored by ion mobility spectrometry (IMS). The limit of detection of the method for trimethylamine (TMA) was 2 ng and the measurement was completed within <2 min with short and long term reproducibility of 15 and 25%, respectively, for replicate samples. The method provides qualitative information as it distinguishes between different amines, as well as quantitative data for the key compounds. A good correlation was found between the IMS results and the microorganism populations in microbiological cultures. The effects of storage time and temperature and of the type of meat on the formation of biogenic amines were examined, and as expected, the higher the storage temperature the faster the spoilage. Thus, this pilot study shows that the measurement of biogenic amines can serve as an indicator for food spoilage or freshness.

ALTERATIONS OF MUSCLE PROTEIN FUNCTIONALITY BY OXIDATIVE AND ANTIOXIDATIVE PROCESSES1

ABSTRACTOxidation and resulting changes in physical and chemical properties of lipids and proteins occur widely in muscle foods, but oxidatively induced alterations in protein functionality have not been fully assessed. Recent studies have shown that sarcoplasmic, myofibrillar and stromal proteins, whether from red meat, poultry, or fish species, are all susceptible to oxidative damage caused by oxidizing lipids, metal ions, and other prooxidants indigenous to muscle or generated during meat processing. This is demonstrated by changes in protein structure, peptide chain scission, formation of amino acid derivatives and polymers, and decreases in solubility, gelation and hydration properties. However, utilization of antioxidants can minimize functional deteriorations in proteins during processing and storage, thereby assuring the supply of high‐quality muscle food products.