Non-destructive evaluation of white striping and microbial spoilage of Broiler Breast Meat using structured-illumination reflectance imaging

Manual inspection is a prevailing practice for quality assessment of poultry meat, but it is labor-intensive, tedious, and subjective. This thesis aims to assess the efficacy of an emerging structured illumination reflectance imaging (SIRI) technique with machine learning approaches for assessing WS and microbial spoilage in broiler breast meat. Broiler breast meat samples were imaged by an in house-assembled SIRI platform under sinusoidal illumination. In first experiment, handcrafted texture features were extracted from direct component (DC, corresponding to conventional uniform illumination) and amplitude component (AC, unique to the use of sinusoidal illumination) images retrieved from raw SIRI pattern images build linear discriminant analysis (LDA) models for classifying normal and defective samples. A further validation experiment was performed using deep learning as a feature extractor followed by LDA. The third experiment was on microbial spoilage assessment of broiler meat, deep learning models were used to extract features from DC and AC images builds on classifiers. Overall, this research has demonstrated consistent improvements of AC over DC images in assessing WS and spoilage of broiler meat and that SIRI is a promising tool for poultry meat quality detection

Recent Advances in OMICs Technologies and Application for Ensuring Meat Quality, Safety and Authenticity

Consumers and stakeholders are increasingly demanding that the meat industry guarantees high-quality meat products with stable and acceptable sensory and safety properties. To do this, it is necessary to understand the mechanisms that underlie the conversion of muscle into meat, as well as the impact of pre- and post-harvest procedures on the final quality and safety of meat products. Over the last two decades, sophisticated OMICs technologies—genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, peptidomics, metabolomics and lipidomics, also known as foodomics—have been powerful approaches that extended the scope of traditional methods and have established impressive possibilities of addressing meat quality issues. Foodomics were further used to elucidate the biological basis/mechanisms of phenotypic variation in the technological and sensory quality traits of meat from different species. Overall, these techniques aimed to comprehensively study the dynamic link(s) between the genome and the quality traits of the meat that we eat compared to traditional methods, hence improving both the accuracy and sensitivity thanks to the large quantities of data that can be generated. This Special Issue focused on the cutting-edge research applications of OMICs tools to characterize or manage the quality of muscle foods. The research papers applied transcriptomics, targeted and untargeted proteomics, metabolomics, and genomics, among others, to evaluate meat quality, determine the molecular profiles of meat and meat products, discover and/or evaluate biomarkers of meat quality traits, and to characterize the safety, adulteration, and authenticity of meat and meat products

Characterization of Growth Patterns and Meat Quality Characteristics of Four Commercial Broiler Strains in Small Bird and Large Bird Programs in The United States

Through current trends in animal protein consumption, the United States poultry industry has seen a drastic rise in production and popularity. Over the last few decades, poultry meat has surpassed both beef and pork production to become the most widely consumed animal protein. This rise may be accredited to an increased transition to more health-conscious consumers. As more consumers purchase poultry as a lean source of protein, the need for a superior quality product is of great interest to poultry integrators. Relationships between commercial broiler lines have been well documented in previous years, but constant and intensive genetic selection in the poultry industry has morphed modern broiler lines to perform differently from those previously investigated. Therefore, the need to address the impact of genetic selection on broiler meat quality was of paramount importance. Chapter 2 characterized the growth performance of males and females from four modern broiler lines fed either a low- or high-density diet. Broilers reared for two processing weights were utilized and variation between the two were assessed. High yielding (HY) broilers produced the highest carcass, breast, and tender yields, whereas standard yielding (SY) broilers produced higher body weights, as well as wing and leg yields. Males produced higher final body weights than females, however, females produced higher carcass, breast, and tender yields. High density diets produced larger carcasses, breast, and tender yields while reducing total fat. Concurrent with Chapter 2, Chapter 3 evaluated these broiler strains for variation in meat quality characteristics. Birds were processed by weight to meet two distinct markets for big bird and small bird debone markets, respectively. High yielding strains produced an increased incidence of all myopathies in comparison to SY strains. Males produced longer and thicker fillets, had increased incidences of white striping, and higher cook loss. Females however, showed an increase in woody breast and spaghetti meat incidence, higher ultimate pH, lighter fillets, and decreased peak counts. Males of the small bird debone market had decreased tenderness than those from the big bird market. However, females had higher degrees of tenderness in the small bird market. Variation in carcass dimensions were observed as males expressed a decrease in breast width as carcass width increased while female breast width increased as carcass size increased. For both Chapters, strain and carcass size provided the main variation in samples. Thus, the assessment of specific markets provides opportunistic selection for integrators to assess for maximum return of investment when broilers are placed

Effects of protein modification on textural properties and water holding capacity of heat induced turkey breast meat gels

The main objectives of this research were to examine effects of protein modification (protein cleavage and crosslinking) on turkey meat gelation and to evaluate textural properties and water holding capacity of meat gels prepared from normal and PSE (pale, soft, exudative) turkey breast meat.First, the effect of protein degradation on turkey breast meat gelation was studied. To create different extent of proteolysis in the meat, á-chymotrypsin (EC 3.4.21.1) was added to normal and PSE meat batters at 0, 2.5, 5 and 10 ppm levels. Sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) of cooked meat gels showed progressive protein hydrolysis with increasing enzyme level. Texture profile analysis and torsional analysis of the cooked meat gels showed an incremental deterioration in texture with increasing enzyme level. This inferior texture caused by proteolysis was similar to that observed in the gels made from PSE turkey meat alone. Pearson correlation coefficients indicated gel textural properties and expressible moisture were highly correlated to the degree of proteolysis, especially to that of myosin heavy chain (p < 0.001).The second study focused on modifying protein size to improve meat gelation, especially PSE meat gelation. Transglutaminase (TGase, EC 2.3.2.13) was chosen due to its ability to catalyze crosslinking of proteins. Pea protein isolate, an alternative to soy protein, was also evaluated as a meat protein extender. Textural profile and torsional gelometry analyses of the cooked meat gels showed TGase alone significantly (p < 0.05) increased gel texture, especially for those made from PSE meat. However, cook yield of the meat gels was compromised possibly due to steric effects. Addition of pea protein isolate alone improved cook yield and gel texture, especially for the gels made from PSE meat. The combination of TGase and pea protein produced the strongest meat gels, while maintaining a similar cook yield to the control. SDS-PAGE showed the disappearance of several protein bands contributed from the meat or pea protein with TGase addition, indicating that these likely were crosslinked and too large to enter the gel. Dynamic rheological analysis revealed TGase altered the viscoelastic properties of the meat or meat-pea protein mixtures and produced more elastic gels on cooling.This research indicated proteolysis had a dramatic impact on textural properties of turkey breast meat gels. Crosslinking of proteins catalyzed by TGase significantly improved gel texture, especially for the gels made from PSE meat. However, TGase-assisted crosslinking of proteins resulted in greater cooking losses unless an extender/adjunct such as pea protein was added

Non-invasive methods for the determination of body and carcass composition in livestock: dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging and ultrasound: invited review

The ability to accurately measure body or carcass composition is important for performance testing, grading and finally selection or payment of meat-producing animals. Advances especially in non-invasive techniques are mainly based on the development of electronic and computer-driven methods in order to provide objective phenotypic data. The preference for a specific technique depends on the target animal species or carcass, combined with technical and practical aspects such as accuracy, reliability, cost, portability, speed, ease of use, safety and for in vivo measurements the need for fixation or sedation. The techniques rely on specific device-driven signals, which interact with tissues in the body or carcass at the atomic or molecular level, resulting in secondary or attenuated signals detected by the instruments and analyzed quantitatively. The electromagnetic signal produced by the instrument may originate from mechanical energy such as sound waves (ultrasound – US), ‘photon’ radiation (X-ray-computed tomography – CT, dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry – DXA) or radio frequency waves (magnetic resonance imaging – MRI). The signals detected by the corresponding instruments are processed to measure, for example, tissue depths, areas, volumes or distributions of fat, muscle (water, protein) and partly bone or bone mineral. Among the above techniques, CT is the most accurate one followed by MRI and DXA, whereas US can be used for all sizes of farm animal species even under field conditions. CT, MRI and US can provide volume data, whereas only DXA delivers immediate whole-body composition results without (2D) image manipulation. A combination of simple US and more expensive CT, MRI or DXA might be applied for farm animal selection programs in a stepwise approach

Avian muscle development and growth mechanisms: association with muscle myopathies and meat quality Volume II

open2siGiven the significant interest in Volume I, it was decided to launch Volume II of the Research Topic “Avian Muscle Development and Growth Mechanisms: Association With Muscle Myopathies and Meat Quality.” The broiler industry is still facing an unsustainable occurrence of growth-related muscular abnormalities that mainly affect fast-growing genotypes selected for high growth rate and breast yield. From their onset, research interest in these issues continues as proven by the temporal trend of published papers during the past decade (Figure 1). Even if meat affected by white striping, wooden breast, and spaghetti meat abnormalities is not harmful for human nutrition, these conditions impair quality traits of both raw and processed meat products causing severe economic losses in the poultry industry worldwide (Petracci et al., 2019; Velleman, 2019). Since the Research Topic of “Avian Muscle Development and Growth Mechanisms: Association With Muscle Myopathies and Meat Quality” is quite diverse, contributions in this second volume reflect the broad scope of areas of investigation related to muscle growth and development with 11 original research papers and one mini-review from prominent scientists in the sector. We hope that this collection will instigate novel questions in the minds of our readers and will be helpful in facilitating the development of the field.openMassimiliano Petracci; Sandra G. VellemanMassimiliano Petracci; Sandra G. Vellema

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

Injection of Iodoacetic Acid into Pre-Rigor Bovine Muscle Simulates Dark Cutting Conditions

Following the harvest of an animal, muscle will continue to produce energy in an attempt to stay alive, primarily through the pathway of glycolysis. This occurs in the form of anaerobic (oxygen-free) metabolism of glucose and glycogen, which causes the meat to acidify. This acidification process is important for proper meat quality development and when insufficient glycolysis occurs it can cause a meat defect known as dark cutting. This defect causes the color of the muscle to become very dark, increases the water-holding capacity of the meat, and causes it to feel firm and dry on the surface because the water is held tightly within. This defect usually occurs when the animal is stressed prior to harvest, causing the animal to deplete glycogen stores and limiting the glycolysis that can occur after harvest. Fortunately, this defect rarely occurs in the US, but it occurs frequently in many other parts of the world. Consequently, US-based researchers are often interested in studying the properties of dark cutting meat, but are often unable to do so because they cannot obtain dark cutting samples. Therefore, the objective of this research was to develop a model to simulate dark cutting meat. This was achieved by injecting iodoacetic acid (an inhibitor of glycolysis) into the muscle immediately after the harvest of the animal to mimic the effects of glycogen depletion. Color, water-holding capacity, and firmness of the meat were then tested to ensure that the properties of the meat were similar to those of naturally-occurring dark cutting meat. The results suggested that injection of iodoacetic acid produced meat with dark cutting characteristics and this model may be used to study dark cutting meat when naturally-occurring samples are not available