Barbecue conditions affect contents of oxygenated and non-oxygenated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in meat and non-meat patties.

The contents of eight oxygenated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (OPAHs; anthracene-9,10-dione, benzo[a]anthracene-7,12-dione, 11H-benzo[b]fluorene-11-one, 6H-benzo[cd]pyren-6-one, 7H-benzo[de]anthracene-7-one, 9,10-dihydro-8H-benzo[a]pyren-7-one, fluoren-9-one, and naphthacene-5,12-dione) and six PAHs (anthracene, fluorene, and PAH4) were investigated in barbecued meat and non-meat patties. The patties were prepared with ten setups (six replicates, each) of barbecue conditions defined by grill type, grate height, heating medium, and barbecue time. The highest median contents were observed with a disposable grill (OPAHs: 46.3 µg/kg; PAHs: 40.7 µg/kg) and a charcoal grill (OPAHs: 29.6 µg/kg; PAHs: 23.3 µg/kg). Fluoren-9-one and anthracene-9,10-dione were the dominant compounds within OPAHs, but also the four toxicologically most relevant OPAHs were detected with a total up to 11.8 µg/kg. Pairs of OPAHs and corresponding PAHs did not show strong correlations, as individual OPAHs and PAHs were affected differently by the barbecue conditions. No suitable markers for OPAH prediction could be found. We recommend to include OPAHs in future PAH investigations.

Prediction of body composition in mirror carp (Cyprinus carpio) by using linear measurements in vivo and computed tomography post-mortem.

The mirror carp (Cyprinus carpio) belongs to the cyprinids, the world's largest and most important fish family in aquaculture. The fat content and the fillet yield are important parameters in the marketing of carp. Although the influence of the environment on the body composition of the carp has been well studied, there is little research in the field of breeding. For this purpose, precise phenotyping is indispensable. Therefore, during this study a total of 33 mirror carps were examined using computed tomography (CT) technology. First, the fish were examined alive. Total body weight and linear measurements such as lengths, height and circumferences were measured, and ultrasound was used to determine the back-fat thickness. The fish were then slaughtered and whole body scans of all fish using CT were made. The carps were filleted and the fillets with skin were chemically analyzed. In order to predict the chemical fillet fat content, thickness measurements and volume calculations of the back fat were carried out using CT. Compared to the CT-based back-fat thickness measurement correlated with the results from the chemical analysis ( R 2 = 0.62 ), the CT-based volume measurement of the back fat leads to a higher coefficient of determination ( R 2 = 0.85 ). Prediction results can still be improved by adding linear measurements. The in vivo ultrasound (US) examination of the back-fat thickness was compared with the CT back-fat thickness results. The measurements of the back-fat thickness took place at similar positions in the fish. Coefficients of determination ( R 2 ) of 0.63 to 0.77 were obtained. The back fat in mirror carp proved to be an interesting area for determining the fillet fat content. The evaluation of the fillet yield resulted in a mean value of 42.89 % with a standard deviation of ± 2.43 . Fillet yield (%) correlated with CT-based fillet thickness measurement resulted in a moderate coefficient of determination ( R 2 of 0.45). A similar coefficient of determination was achieved with selected linear measurements.

A rapid UHPLC-MS/MS screening method for the detection of the addition of porcine blood plasma to emulsion-type pork sausages.

The adulteration of meat products by the undeclared addition of commercially available blood plasma powder is quite conceivable due to low costs, high protein contents (about 70%), and advantageous functional properties. This applies particularly to pork, which has the highest meat production rate in the European Union. Evidence of this type of food fraud has been rather difficult to identify due to the lack of appropriate analytical methods, especially when adding plasma to meat of the same animal species. Consequently, a rapid UHPLC-MS/MS method for the detection of porcine blood plasma in emulsion-type pork sausages was developed. After protein extraction and tryptic digestion in a quick and simple one-pot process, species-specific marker peptides for porcine blood cell proteins (four markers) and plasma proteins (12 markers) were measured by UHPLC-MS/MS. Emulsion-type pork sausages were produced from a variety of raw materials that differed in the age or sex of the slaughtered pigs. Sausages were spiked with 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2, 3, or 5% meat substitution by one of two plasma powders, or produced as corresponding blank samples, and subjected to different thermal treatments as full or semi-preserves. Four plasma peptides were identified for the overall sample that allowed detection down to 0.7% meat substitution from the sum of their peak areas, with 5% error probability for both false positives and negatives.

Comparison of national ZP equations for lean meat percentage assessment in SEUROP pig classification.

The objectives of the present work were (1) to compare pig carcass classification using different ZP ("Zwei-Punkt-Messverfahren") equations approved in the EU, applied on the same dataset, and to discuss the origin of differences between member states; (2) to evaluate the effect of a possible common ZP equation from the combined dataset and analyse how do the different subsets perform; and (3) to discuss the consequences of different national equations within the EU in view of the harmonization of pig carcass classification. A dataset of 951 carcasses from Belgium, France, Germany, Slovenia and Spain was used, 12 approved ZP equations in Europe were applied and the results were compared. Observed differences can be due not only to differences in genetics and sexes, but also to differences in the ZP measurement and dissection trials performed to obtain national equations. Important differences between some equations (up to almost 5 lean meat percentage) indicate a low harmonization among them and a need for improvements.