Effects of Postmortem time of calcium chloride injection on beef tenderness and drip, cooking, and total loss

The effect of postmortem time of calcium chloride (CaCl2) injection in conjunction with postmortem aging was determined on 16 beef semimembranosus muscles. Each muscle was cut into four equal segments that were randomly assigned: (1) no injection (control); (2) CaCl2 at 1 h postmortem; (3) CaCl2 at 12 h postmortem; or (4) CaCl2 at 24 h postmortem. Samples were injected with a 0·3 m solution of CaCl2 at 10% by weight. At 24 h postmortem, each segment was divided into two pieces that were randomly assigned to either a 10-day aging period (2°C) or to frozen storage (-29°C). Shear force values were higher (P \u3c 0·01) in control samples compared with injected samples and increased linearly (P \u3c 0·05) with time of injection. Drip loss was lower (P \u3c 0·01) in control samples compared with injected samples. A linear (P \u3c 0·05) effect was found for the increases in cooking and total loss due to injection time. Aging decreased (P \u3c 0·05) shear force values and cooking loss. CaCl2 injection at 1 h postmortem was most effective in reducing shear force values and preventing excessive moisture loss. However, injection at 12 or 24 h postmortem was also effective in lowering shear force values. © 1994

Effect of chromium picolinate on growth, body composition, and tissue accretion in pigs.

An experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of dietary chromium picolinate (CrP) on growth and body composition of pigs. Twenty-four barrows (three from each of eight litters) were randomly allotted within litter to one of three treatments: 1) basal (B) diet from 19.1 to 106.4 kg BW (Control); 2) B from 19.1 to 57.2 kg BW and then B + 200 ppb of chromium as CrP from 57.2 to 106.4 kg BW (CrP-F); and 3) B + 200 ppb of chromium as CrP from 19.1 to 106.4 kg BW (CrP- GF). Average daily gain and ADFI were reduced (P \u3c .08) and first rib fat thickness was increased (P \u3c .08) in pigs fed CrP-GF compared with pigs fed the Control diet. Specific gravity of the carcass was not affected (P \u3e .10) by treatment. Tenth rib fat was reduced (P \u3c .01) in pigs fed CrP-F compared with pigs fed CrP-GF, and percentage of muscle was increased in pigs fed CrP-F (P \u3c .09) compared with pigs fed either the Control or CrP-GF diets. Leaf fat (P \u3c .05) and lung weights (P \u3c .08) were reduced in pigs fed CrP-F compared with pigs fed CrP-GF. As determined by physical-chemical separation, pigs fed CrP-GF had an increased (P \u3c .07) percentage of intermuscular fat compared with pigs fed the Control or CrP-F diets. Pigs fed CrP-F had a lesser (P \u3c .07) percentage of total fat and a greater (P \u3c .07) percentage of muscle than pigs fed the Control or CrP-GF diets. As determined by mechanical-chemical separation, pigs fed CrP-F had a greater (P \u3c .10) percentage of moisture than pigs fed the Control diet and a lesser (P \u3c .10) percentage of fat and a greater (P \u3c .06) percentage of ash than pigs fed the Control or CrP-GF diets. Pigs fed CrP-GF had an increased (P \u3c .04) daily fat accretion compared with pigs fed CrP-F. Sensory and shear force values were not affected by CrP, with the exception that meat from pigs fed CrP-GF had a greater (P \u3c .10) shear force value than meat from pigs fed CrP-F. These results suggest that dietary supplementation of CrP in the finishing phase of pig production may increase muscle and decrease fat deposition; however, not all measures of muscling or fatness were improved by CrP

Qualitative effects of fresh and dried plum ingredients on vacuum-packaged, sliced hams

Boneless ham muscles (Semimembranosus + Adductor) were injected (20% w/w) with a curing brine containing no plum ingredient (control), fresh plum juice concentrate (FP), dried plum juice concentrate (DP), or spray dried plum powder (PP) at 2.5% or 5%. Hams were cooked, vacuum-packaged, stored at \u3c4 °C and evaluated at 2-week intervals over 10 week. Evaluations were performed on sliced product to determine cook loss, vacuum-package purge, Allo-Kramer shear force, 2-thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS), proximate analysis, objective color, sensory panel color and sensory attributes. FP, DP and 2.5% PP increased (P \u3c 0.05) cook loss by 2% to 7% depending on treatment and level, but the highest cook loss (17.7%) was observed in hams with 5% PP. Shear force values increased as the level of plum ingredient increased (P \u3c 0.05) from 2.5% to 5%, and the highest shear values were observed in hams containing 5% FP. There were no differences (P \u3e 0.05) in lipid oxidation among treatments as determined by TBARS and sensory evaluation. FP and PP ham color was similar to the control, but DP had a more intense atypical color of cured ham. Minimal changes in physical, chemical and sensory properties were observed during storage of all treatments. © 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

Antioxidant properties of dried plum ingredients in raw and precooked pork sausage

Raw pork sausages with no antioxidant (control), 3% or 6% dried plum puree (DP), 3% or 6% dried plum and apple puree (DPA), or 0.02% butylated hydroxytoluene and butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA/BHT) were (1) stored raw in chubs at 4 °C (RR) and evaluated weekly over 28 d, (2) cooked as patties, vacuum packaged, and stored at 4 °C (PR) for weekly evaluation over 28 d, or (3) cooked, vacuum packaged, and stored at -20 °C (PF) and evaluated monthly over 90 d. DP at 3% or 6% levels was as effective as BHA/BHT for retarding lipid oxidation in PR sausage patties. Likewise, DP at 3% was equally as effective in PF patties, but DP at 6% was even more effective (lower TBARS values) than BHA/BHT for retarding oxidative rancidity. All treatments decreased the fat and increased moisture content of raw sausages but only 6% DP reduced cooking yields. Inclusion of 6% DP decreased internal redness while both 6% DP and DPA increased yellowness of raw sausage. Trained panel sensory evaluations indicated that DP enhanced sweet taste, decreased salt and bitter tastes, and masked cooked pork/brothy, cooked pork fat, spicy/peppery, and sage flavors. In general, warmed-over flavor notes were not affected by storage treatments. Overall, pork sausage with 3% DP or DPA was as acceptable to consumers as the control or those patties with BHA/BHT, but patties with 6% of either plum product were less desirable. Inclusion of 3% DP was effective as a natural antioxidant for suppressing lipid oxidation in precooked pork sausage patties. © 2008 Institute of Food Technologists

Antioxidant properties of plum concentrates and powder in precooked roast beef to reduce lipid oxidation

Boneless beef roasts (Semimembranosus + Adductor) were injected (20%) with a brine containing (1) no plum ingredient (control), (2) 2.5 or 5% fresh plum juice concentrate (FP), (3) 2.5 or 5% dried plum juice concentrate (DP), or (4) 2.5 or 5% spray dried plum powder (PP). Whole roasts were cooked, vacuum-packaged and stored at \u3c4.0 °C for 10 wk. At 2 wk intervals, evaluations were performed on sliced product to determine vacuum-packaged purge, Allo-Kramer shear force, lipid oxidation (TBARS), color space values, and sensory attributes. All plum ingredients reduced TBARS values and had minimal effects on tenderness, sensory characteristics, color and appearance. Small changes in purge, color values, TBARS and some sensory properties were found during storage. These results indicate that 2.5% FP or DP could be incorporated into precooked beef roasts to reduce lipid oxidation and potentially, warmed-over flavor (WOF). © 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved