Thaw Drip Loss Research Articles

Quality changes in cod (Gadus morhua) and redfish (Sebastes marinus) loins and tails during frozen storage

The muscle structure and composition may vary along the different portions of fish fillets, which can complicate the quality and storage stability of products. Loins and tails from Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) and redfish (Sebastes marinus) fillets were therefore stored at −25 °C up to 16 months and 20 months, respectively, to investigate the quality changes influenced by the duration of frozen storage within the fillet portions. Throughout the storage period, the loss of total sulfhydryl groups correlated with increased disulfide bonds, indicating partial oxidative protein degradation. This may be linked with protein denaturation as evidenced by the decrease of soluble proteins, as well as decreased water holding capacity and increased thawing drip loss and cooking loss. The results from the cod samples reveal that stronger degradation changes occurred in the tail. The loin, therefore, had more storage stability as well as higher nutritional value. However, other quality attributes were similar between the two portions in the redfish fillets. Higher free fatty acid (FFA) values, lower soluble protein contents, and higher disulfide bond contents were obtained in the cod samples compared to the redfish samples at the same storage time, indicating that lipid hydrolysis and protein degradation effects were stronger in the cod (lean fish) compared to redfish (medium fat species).

Quality of Frozen Hake Fillets in the Portuguese Retail Market: A Case Study of Inadequate Practices in the European Frozen White Fish Market.

The overall quality of frozen hake fillets in the Portuguese market was evaluated. Physical, biochemical, microbiological, and sensory analysis in 20 brands revealed several non-conformities. Hake was identified in 19 brands, although two mislabeled the species. Lower net weight than labeled was evidenced in ca. one-third of brands. TVB-N in ca. one-third of the samples presented high values, although within legal limit. Almost all brands presented excessive amount of ice glaze, low levels of WHC (raw/cooked), low levels of soluble protein, and undue thaw-drip loss, thus reflecting the poor quality of fillets. Added phosphates were below the legal limit in all samples; however, they were used in glaze ice in three brands, and only labeled in one. Overall microbiological quality of frozen fillets was good, though yeasts and molds detected in six samples indicate poor hygienic conditions in some facilities. Labels comply with legal requisites, however, need improvement, namely the ‘best before’ periods. In general, packaging was efficient regarding presence of ice crystals and dehydration signs. Concerning sensory analysis of cooked fillets, 63% of the brands had bad to poor quality and 37% fair quality. Merluccius productus revealed the worst quality, namely regarding thaw drip loss, thaw drip loss protein, M/P ratio, pH and sensory evaluation. Overall results show that a significant part of the hake fillets business operators are still failing in relation with best practices.

Quality characteristics of shucked crab meat (Eriocheir sinensis) processed by high pressure during superchilled storage.

High-pressure processing (HPP) at 300MPa for 20min at 25°C was used for shucking Chinese mitten crab. The shelf-life, quality as well as internal protein changes in HPP-shucked meat were investigated during superchilled storage at -4o C. Upon 3-week storage, the lightness and whiteness of HPP-shucked crab meat start to decline, while no significant changes were observed in the hardness, gumminess, and chewiness. Sensory and microbial evaluation suggested that HPP-shucked crab meat can be generally preserved in an acceptable manner within 3weeks, although a negative influence on drip loss was found. The loss of entrapped water in crab meat as revealed by low field nuclear magnetic resonance was responsible for the relatively high thawing drip loss. The severe deterioration of meat quality and sensory occurred at 4-week storage probably as a result of exacerbated myofibrillar protein oxidation, denaturation, and crosslinking. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: It has been confirmed that HPP shucking can maintain the fresh-state of the crab meat and save energy compared to the conventional treatment, which could meet consumers' demand for minimally processed seafood products. In this work, the shelf-life of HPP-shucked crab meat stored at -4o C was evaluated to be 3weeks and HPP shucking combined with superchilling can be an effective way to preserve the crab meat. These results can provide basic knowledge for the storage and distribution of HPP-shucked crab meat.

Effect of constant and fluctuating temperatures during frozen storage on quality of marinated fillets from Atlantic and Baltic herrings (Clupea harengus)

The production of cold fish marinades is characterized by high seasonality, and therefore producers have problems with providing the sufficient supply of marinades. Besides, after the spawning season, herrings do not ripen properly. Therefore, in the present study, marinated Atlantic and Baltic herring fillets were frozen and stored for 2 days up to 5 months using constant and fluctuating temperatures (recrystallization). The freezing-thawing of marinades improves the hardness, color, and overall sensory evaluation of meat. Temperature fluctuations increase the disintegration of the muscle tissue structure and lysosomal membranes, enhancing the activity of aspartyl endopeptidase responsible for improving the texture of meat and increasing the concentration of protein-hydrolyzing products. The highest thaw drip loss and lipid oxidation were observed after 3 months of frozen storage with temperature fluctuation. Frozen storage had a different effect on fatty and thin herrings. Frozen-thawed marinades stored for up to 5 months were of good microbiology quality. Study results show that the freezing of the semi-marinades may be one of the methods for quality improvement and for extending marinades shelf-life before the seasonally increased demand on the market.

THE EFFECT OF CONVENTIONAL AND SHOCK FREEZING ON DRIP LOSS AND TEXTURAL PARAMETERS OF BEEF MEAT

Abstract The effect of conventional and shock freezing on thaw drip loss and firmness of beef meat was studied. The meat samples was frozen in conventional freezer at -18 °C and shock frozen meat samples reached -50 °C temperature. Drip loss was measured by weighing the meat sample during thawing. The firmness was performed with TA-XT Plus Texture Analyzer with the volodkevich bite jaws. The firmness score and thaw drip loss differences did not been recognized between conventional and shock freezing meat excluding 7th day.

CHARACTERISTICS OF INTERACTIONS BETWEEN SOME TEXTURE PROPERTIES AND COMPOSITION OF CARRAGEENAN GELS AS A RESULT OF ITS DEFINED DIVERSIFIED FREEZING AND THAWING TREATMENT

Model samples of carrageenan gels based on water, milk and juice were air-blast frozen and frozen by immersion in glycol and in liquid nitrogen. The gel freezing rate was determined on the basis of the kinetics of freezing. Carrageenan gel samples were characterized by evaluation of its thawing drip loss and hardness determined with compression and penetration tests. Freezing in liquid nitrogen ensured the highest freezing rates. Thawing drip loss of gels significantly depended on the carrageenan content, pH of the solution, freezing method and freezing rate. The resulting relationships are linear functions with high determination coefficients. The results of compression and penetration tests prove the significant effect of the carrageenan content and pH on gel hardness. The higher carrageenan content in a sample, the higher compression force and penetration of the gel. Gel freezing resulted in lower hardness. Freezing conditions had a significant effect on the properties tested. The correlation between compression forces and penetration depending on the carrageenan content and the freezing method was described using regression equations with high determination coefficients. Gels based on milk and juice with 2.2% carrageenan content are recommended for immersion freezing at rates above 5.0 cm·h-1.

Shucking of bay scallop (Argopecten irradians) using high hydrostatic pressure and its effect on microbiological and physical quality of adductor muscle

Abstract This study was carried out to evaluate the effect of high hydrostatic pressure on microbiological and physical qualities changes of bay scallop ( Argopecten irradians ) during storage time at − 18 °C. High hydrostatic pressure (HHP), at pressure levels from 150 to 400 MPa was used for shucking bay scallop. 100% detachment of adductor muscle was observed when scallops were treated at 200 MPa/3 min and 350 MPa/0 min. HHP-shucked scallops obtained higher yield (17.26% higher for tissue and 3.48% higher for adductor muscle) than manual shucking samples ( P ). HHP shucking produced reductions in the aerobic plate count and coliform. Moreover, HHP-shucked adductor muscles showed significantly higher pH (6.14 to 6.40), moisture (78.95% to 80.47%) and thawing drip loss (4.41% to 9.67%) than control ( P ). The hardness of HHP-shucked adductor muscles increased, while the springiness showed no difference changes. Furthermore, the HHP shucking significantly increased L ⁎ value (52.40 to 53.96) of adductor muscles, while a ⁎ (− 2.05 to − 4.15) and b ⁎ values (0.18 to − 4.68) decreased ( P ). At the end of frozen storage (150 days), most of quality parameters showed no significant changes. In addition, the HHP-shucked adductor muscles presented better sensory attributes. In short, HHP as an effective shucking method showed a broad prospect for application in scallop processing industry. Industrial relevance This research paper which presented a fair comparison of high pressure shucking and hand shucking on bay scallops, could provide information about shucking attributes and biochemical stability of adductor muscles under frozen storage time which are quite scarce. The available data are provided for the evaluation and application of HHP in the bivalve processing industry, and criteria for commercial production of high quality scallop adductor muscle with safety requirements could be established.

Effects of Aging Period Prior to Freezing on Meat Quality of Hanwoo Muscle (Longissimus dorsi)

This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of the aging period prior to freezing on the meat quality of Hanwoo longissimus dorsi (LD) muscle. Three different combinations of aging and freezing periods (0/90, 20/70, and 40/50) were examined using LD muscle at 24 h postmortem under an identical storage time of 90 d. The pH and lightness slightly increased with increasing aging period. However, there were no significant (p>0.05) differences in redness and yellowness. The solitary freezing treatment (0/90) had the significantly (p<0.05) lowest moisture content. The un-aged treatment had a significantly (p<0.05) higher total loss than the aged treatments due to an increase in thaw drip loss. The aging significantly improved the myofibrillar fragmentation index and shear force of Hanwoo LD muscle (p<0.05). In addition, the aged treatments produced a higher flavor, tenderness, juiciness, and overall acceptability relative to un-aged treatment. However, there was no significant (p>0.05) difference in shear force and sensorial properties between 20 and 40 d aging prior to freezing. Therefore, 20 d aging prior to freezing may be a sufficiently effective strategy to improve the tenderness and sensorial properties of Hanwoo LD muscle.

Effect of Rapid Thawing on the Meat Quality Attributes of USDA Select Beef Strip Loin Steaks

The objective was to determine the meat quality effects of rapidly thawing beef steaks in a water bath. Frozen beef strip loins (n = 24) were cut into steaks sequentially from the rib end and identified by anatomical location (anterior, middle, posterior) within the loin. Within location, steaks were randomly assigned to conventional (C; 18 to 20 h, 4 °C) or rapid thawing methods. Rapid thawing methods, fast (20 min, 20 °C) or very fast (11 min, 39 °C), were conducted in a circulating water bath. The physical, thawing, cooking, color, and texture characteristics of each steak were recorded. Data were analyzed as a randomized complete block design with a 3 thawing treatments × 3 locations factorial analysis with loin as a block. No location by thawing method interaction was detected (P > 0.05) for the measured variables. Compared to C steaks, rapidly thawed steaks exhibited lower thaw drip loss (P < 0.001) and higher a* values (P < 0.001). Thawing treatment did not influence L*, b*, cook yield, or shear force. Steaks from the posterior end had higher (P < 0.001) surface to volume ratios that may have contributed to the higher thaw loss (P < 0.01), longer cooking time (P < 0.001), lower cooking yield (P < 0.001), and higher shear force (P < 0.02) compared to steaks from the anterior and middle portions of the loins. These data indicate that beef steaks taken from the entire length of the loin can be rapidly thawed in a water bath following food safety guidelines with minimal impact on meat quality. Practical Application: Freezing rate and frozen storage effects on meat quality have been well documented; however, there is comparatively little information on the meat quality effects of rapid thawing within food safety guidelines. This study demonstrates that beef strip loin steaks can be rapidly thawed in as few as 11 min without affecting texture or cooking yield, while reducing thaw drip loss. Thus, rapid thawing may enhance the apparent juiciness of steaks for consumers and provide an effective method for maintaining consistent control of experimental conditions for researchers.

Meat quality and fatty acid composition of pasture-finished beef steers fed barley and soybeans

The effect of supplemention on the performance, carcass characteristics, meat quality, and fatty acid composition of pasture-finished cattle was studied. Thirty-two steers were assigned to four treatments in a randomized block design. Treatments were: totally mixed ration (TMR) [confinement-fed total mixed ration (60% grass silage, 40% rolled barley], pasture only (rotationally grazed temperate mixed pasture); pasture plus barley (the same pasture plus 4.5 kg DM hd-1 d-1 rolled barley) and pasture plus soybeans (the same pasture plus 1.8 kg DM hd-1 d-1 whole roasted soybeans). Steers were slaughtered after 105 d on test. Tissue samples were collected at slaughter for analysis of meat quality and fatty acid content. Dry matter (DM) intakes were greater for TMR-fed cattle (P &lt; 0.05). Among the pasture-fed cattle those fed barley (P &lt; 0.05) consumed more total DM than those given pasture alone. Rates of BW gain were higher for TMR-fed steers than those fed pasture only (P &lt; 0.05). Carcass weights and dressing percentage were similar across all treatments. Feeding barley or soybeans on pasture increased backfat thickness (P &lt; 0.05), but the pasture-only cattle had greater loin eye area (P &lt; 0.05). Pasture-only beef had more thaw drip loss (P &lt; 0.05) and less cooking drip loss (P &lt; 0.05) than TMR-fed beef. Evaporative cooking losses were greater in beef from unsupplemented pasture than from barley- or soybean-supplemented pasture (P &lt; 0.05). Pasture-only beef had 25% more polyunsaturated fatty acids and 37% greater cis-9, trans-11 conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) concentrations in longisimus thoracis (l. thoracis) tissue than TMR-fed beef (P &lt; 0.05). Among pasture-fed cattle, soybean supplementation increased C18:2 concentration by 34% (P &lt; 0.05), while barley reduced C18:3 concentration by 8% (P &lt; 0.05) in l. thoracis tissue. Soybean supplementation increased cis-9, trans-11 CLA concentration by 30% (P &lt; 0.05) in l. thoracis tissue over pasture only. Beef finished on pasture has higher levels of beneficial fatty acids than TMR-fed beef, with few differences in meat quality. Supplementation on pasture improves animal performance, but barley has some negative effects on beneficial fatty acids in meat. Key words: Pasture, steers, fatty acids, conjugated linoleic acid

Thaw drip loss and protein characterization of drip from air-frozen, cryogen-frozen, and pressure-shift-frozen pork longissimus dorsi in relation to ice crystal size

Drip loss from thawed, pressure-shift-frozen longissimus dorsi pork was not different from drip loss from fresh meat samples, while cryogen-frozen (using liquid nitrogen at −70 °C) and air-frozen (−20 °C) pork both had significantly higher drip loss (12%) upon thawing when compared to pressure-shift-frozen and fresh pork (4%). Pressure-shift-frozen pork was discolored, with a significant decrease in CIE redness parameter a*, and showed signs of denaturation upon visual inspection. A high molecular weight protein band (Mw 97,000) characteristic for gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) for drip from fresh, air-frozen, and cryogen-frozen pork was not present in drip from pressure-shift-frozen pork. Ice crystals in the frozen pork, as evaluated by image analysis of cavities in digitized pictures from light microscopy of 14 μm-thick meat slices (cut transverse to the fiber direction) embedded in tissue wax following treatment with Carnoy’s fixative and ethanol, increased in the order: pressure-shift-frozen<cryogen-frozen<air-frozen pork. Meat structure, as evaluated visually following thawing, deviated from fresh meat structure only for pressure-shift-frozen pork. It is accordingly concluded that pressure denaturation of meat proteins is more important for structure appearance than growth of ice crystals, and that protein denaturation increases water-binding capacity in pressure-shift-frozen pork.

PALATABILITY OF INDIVIDUAL MUSCLES FROM OVINE LEG STEAKS AS RELATED TO CHRONOLOGICAL AGE AND MARBLING

SUMMARY– 5 muscles from each of 243 leg steaks from sheep ranging in age from 74–665 days were evaluated mechanically for tenderness using a Warner‐Bratzler shear and organoleptically for tenderness and juiciness by a trained 3‐member panel. The rectus femoris, vastus lateralis, biceps femoris, semitendinosus and semimembranosus muscles were evaluated. The r. femoris and semitendinosus were given the highest (P &lt;.05) organoleptic ratings for tenderness, whereas the semimembranosus was least tender (P &lt;.05) among the 5 muscles compared. However, no significant difference was found between the shear force values of the b. femoris and semimembranosus. The b. femoris and r. femoris received the highest juiciness ratings, while the v. lateralis and semitendinosus were least desirable in juiciness (P &lt;.05). Significant correlations (P &lt;.01) were observed between cooking losses and juiciness ratings for the combined muscles and between marbling scores and juiciness ratings for the r. femoris, v. lateralis and semitendinosus. However, gross amount of marbling was of minor importance in explaining differences in juiciness between muscles since r. femoris had the least marbling (P &lt;.05). Marbling appeared to be of little consequence in determining either tenderness or thaw drip loss, based on the extremely low correlation coefficients observed between marbling and each of these variables. Correlations were significant (P &lt;.01) between chronological age and measures of tenderness and cooking loss. Cooking loss was also negatively correlated (P &lt;.01) with taste panel tenderness ratings. Therefore, the detrimental effect of increasing age on organoleptic tenderness may be manifested through a drying effect during cookery. These results indicate that the muscles of the ovine leg vary in palatability attributes and that cooking loss appears to affect organoleptic evaluations of both tenderness and juiciness. Increasing chronological age has a detrimental effect on tenderness measured organoleptically or mechanically. The contribution of marbling to tenderness is questionable; however, increased marbling enhanced the juiciness of the r. femoris, v. lateralis and semitendinosus muscles.