Effect of commercial plant extracts on the oxidative stability of mechanically deboned poultry meat during chilled storage.

The effect of commercial plant extracts (grape, rosemary, pomegranate, green tea, and mate) at 0.125, 0.25, 0.50, and 1 % w/w concentrations as a natural antioxidant in mechanically deboned poultry meat (MDPM) was evaluated. The extracts were characterized for the content of phenolic compounds, total flavonoids, and antioxidant activity. Lipid oxidation (TBARS), instrumental color (L*, a*, and b* values), and pH of MDPM were evaluated on days 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 of chilled storage (2 °C). All commercial extracts showed antioxidant activity in the following order: grape > green tea > mate > rosemary > pomegranate, the latter addition promoted the highest TBARS values in MDPM during storage. The levels of 0.5, 0.25, and 0.125 % of grape, green tea, mate, and rosemary extracts showed the same positive effect in decelerating lipid oxidation in MDPM. The pH values of the MDPM decreased with increasing the extract concentrations. The commercial extracts led to a decrease in L* and b* values, and the grape extract provided the highest a* values in MDPM during chilled storage. The addition of commercial plant-derived extracts has proven to be an effective natural antioxidant to extend the shelf life of MDPM and consequently healthier and quality meat products can be produced.

Adding lysine and yeast extract improves sensory properties of low sodium salted meat.

The partial reduction of Sodium Chloride (NaCl) and the use of lysine, yeast extract and substitute salts Potassium Chloride (KCl) and Calcium Chloride (CaCl2) in the characteristics of salted meat was investigated. Proximate composition, physicochemical properties (pH, water activity, lipid oxidation), instrumental analysis (color, shear force), microbiological analysis (total counts, lactic acid bacteria counts, thermally tolerant coliforms, and total coliforms) and sensory evaluation (120 consumers) were performed. The partial replacement of NaCl by KCl and CaCl2 significantly reduced the sodium content of salted meat treatments, while lysine and yeast extract minimized the negative sensory effects due to the addition of KCl and CaCl2. The addition of lysine and yeast extract increased the sensory acceptance and decreased rancid aroma, salty taste, and aftertaste of salted meat made with a blend of NaCl + KCl + CaCl2, with no differences in the physiochemical quality parameters. Moreover, the treatments made with the blend NaCl + KCl exhibited characteristics similar to traditional salted meat formulations.

Q Methodology: An interesting strategy for concept profile and sensory description of low sodium salted meat.

The conceptual representation and sensory profiling of low sodium salted meat containing different flavor enhancers (n = 9) were investigated using the Q methodology. Seventy consumers performed a Q-sorting task having in mind the health concept, using a hedonic test and sensory description of the samples. Regular sodium salted meats were associated to the health concept and were characterized by as too much salt, fatty, salty taste, strange taste, and high blood pressure, while the low-sodium samples were associated with good appearance, metallic taste, and healthy. The Health questionnaire showed it is a valorization of food with improved sensory characteristics in addition and the importance of physical and emotional health. Our findings suggested the Q methodology can be an interesting tool for meat processors, together with the traditional sensory test with consumers, to obtain more consistent and complementary information about meat products.

Understanding the effect of different chloride salts on the water behavior in the salted meat matrix along 180 days of shelf life.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of different chloride salts (NaCl, KCl, and CaCl2) on water behavior in salted meat during 180 days of shelf life by Low Field Nuclear Magnetic Resonance and physicochemical analysis. Four salted meat treatments were made using the following salts in the wet and dry salting steps: FC1: 100% NaCl; F1: 50% NaCl +50% KCl; F2: 50% NaCl +50% CaCl2; F3: 50% NaCl +25% KCl + 25% CaCl2. The analyses performed were: moisture, pH, aw, weight loss and Low Field Nuclear Magnetic Resonance. The use of CaCl2 as a salt substitute to NaCl during the elaboration of salted meat caused a decrease of pH and higher values of aw and weight loss when compared with the treatments containing only NaCl or NaCl + KCl. The morphology of the salted meat changed with the addition of CaCl2, possibly making the matrix structure more open and facilitating dehydration, whereas the NaCl replacement by KCl did not cause significant modifications in salted meat characteristics during 180 days of storage. In general, the results demonstrated that the addition of KCl may be a good alternative to reduce the sodium content in salted meat product, and the Low Field Nuclear Magnetic Resonance method has proved a good tool for obtaining additional information on the changes that salts can cause in the structure of salted meat products.

Reducing 50% sodium chloride in healthier jerked beef: An efficient design to ensure suitable stability, technological and sensory properties.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of the partial replacement of NaCl by blends of KCl and CaCl2 on the physicochemical, microbiological, and sensory properties of jerked beef. For that, in the dry and wet salting stages, 50% NaCl of the control treatment (FC1) was replaced by 50% KCl (F1), 50% CaCl2 (F2), and a blend containing 25% KCl and 25% CaCl2 (F3) at equivalent concentrations based on the ionic strength. All reformulated treatments presented a significant sodium reduction when compared to the control (27.57% F1, 41.59% F2, and 36.74% F3). The CaCl2 blends resulted in final products with bitter taste and rancid aroma accompanied by a higher TBARS and shear force and lower a* values (P < .05). The substitute salts did not affect the microbiological stability (P > .05). The present results demonstrate that adding 50% KCl may be a good strategy to reduce sodium in jerked beef.