No abstract

Vegetable juice powder (VJP) and a starter culture containing Staphylococcus carnosus have been identified as necessary ingredients for the manufacture of uncured, no-nitrate/nitrite-added meat products with quality and sensory attributes similar to traditional cured products. The objectives of this study were to determine the effects of varying concentrations of VJP and incubation time (MIN-HOLD) on quality characteristics, including lipid oxidation, color, and cured meat pigment concentrations, of ham over a 90-d storage period, compare residual nitrate and nitrite content, and determine if differences exist in sensory properties of finished products. Four ham treatments (TRT) (TRT 1: 0.20% VJP, 0 MIN-HOLD; TRT 2: 0.20% VJP, 120 MIN-HOLD; TRT 3: 0.35% VJP, 0 MIN-HOLD; TRT 4: 0.35% VJP, 120 MIN-HOLD) and a sodium nitrite-added control (C) were used for this study. No differences (P > 0.05) were observed between TRTs and C for CIE L*, a*, b*, and cured color measured by reflectance ratio. Lipid oxidation (TBARS) for combined TRTs and C revealed little change over time while the C had less (P < 0.05) lipid oxidation than TRTs 2 and 4 for combined days. No differences (P > 0.05) were reported for cured pigment concentration between TRTs and C. Trained sensory panel intensity ratings for ham and vegetable aroma, and flavor, color, and firmness showed that a high concentration (0.35%) of VJP resulted in the highest scores for undesirable vegetable aroma and flavor. Treatment combinations with a low concentration (0.20%) of VJP were comparable to the C for all sensory attributes.

Lipid oxidation is a major cause of deterioration in the quality of meat and meat products. Oxidation can occur in either the stored triglycerides or the tissue phospholipids. Ferric heme pigments have been implicated as the major prooxidants in tissue lipid oxidation. Pigment and lipid oxidation are interrelated, and ferric hemes are believed to promote lipid oxidation. The resulting oxidation destroys the hemes. Nonheme iron and ascorbic acid may also function as prooxidants in meat. Sodium chloride accelerates oxidation of the triglycerides, although the mechanism of salt catalysis is not completely known. Cooked meat undergoes rapid deterioration due to tissue lipid oxidation. The meat pigment in the cured pink ferrous form does not promote the rapid oxidation undergone by cooked uncured meat. Refrigerated and frozen fresh meats are also susceptible to lipid oxidation. Protein denaturation and cross‐linking may result from lipid oxidation in stored freeze‐dried meat. With increased consumption of prepackaged raw meat and precooked convenience meat items, control of oxidation has become increasingly important. Antioxidants and chelating agents are the most effective inhibitors of lipid oxidation.

The data further confirm that storage of comminuted high-nitrate fresh spinach and beets will eventually result in accumulation of large amounts of nitrite at the expense of nitrate. Since the six nitrosamines sought by highly specific and sensitive methods were not found, even in materials stored beyond the limits of edibility, the principal public health concern with these high-nitrite vegetables remains the relation of nitrite to methemoglobinemia in infants. ACKNOWLEDGMENTThe authors wish to thank C. J. Dooley and E. G. Piotrowski for performing the glc-mass spectrometric analysis.

Irradiation dose affected production of volatiles in vacuumand aerobic-packaged cooked pork sausage, but its effect on TBARS was minor. Storage increased production of volatiles and changed their composition only in aerobic-packaged sausage. Among volatile components, 1-heptene and 1-nonene were influenced most by irradiation dose, and aldehydes by packaging type. TBARS and volatiles of vacuumpackaged irradiated cooked sausage did not correlate well. However, TBARS had very high correlation with amount of aldehydes, total volatiles, ketones and alcohols with long retention times in aerobic-packaged pork sausage. Heptene and 1-nonene could be indicators for irradiation; and propanal, pentanal, and hexanal for oxygen-dependent changes of cooked meat.

Uncured, no-nitrate/nitrite-added meat products can be manufactured with vegetable juice powder (VJP) and a starter culture containing Staphylococcus carnosus, resulting in quality and sensory attributes similar to traditional cured products. The 1st objective of this study was to determine the effects of varying concentrations of VJP and incubation times (MIN-HOLD) on quality characteristics, including lipid oxidation, color, and cured meat pigment concentrations, of emulsified-frankfurter-style-cooked (EFSC) sausages over a 90-d storage period. The 2nd objective was to compare residual nitrate and nitrite content resulting from different processing treatments and the 3rd objective was to assess sensory properties of finished products. Four EFSC sausage treatments (TRT) (TRT 1: 0.20% VJP, 30 MIN-HOLD; TRT 2: 0.20% VJP, 120 MIN-HOLD; TRT 3: 0.40% VJP, 30 MIN-HOLD; TRT 4: 0.40% VJP, 120 MIN-HOLD) and a sodium nitrite-added control (C) were used for this study. No differences for lipid oxidation (TBARS) between any TRTs and C or over time were observed. No differences (P > 0.05) for CIE L* values were found between TRTs. CIE a* and reflectance ratio values revealed that TRTs 2, 4, and C were redder than TRTs 1 and 3 at day 0. Trained sensory intensity ratings for cured aroma, cured color, cured flavor, uniform color, and firmness determined that all but TRT 1 were similar to C. These results indicate a longer incubation time (120 compared with 30 min) was found more critical than VJP level (0.20% or 0.40%) to result in products comparable to a sodium nitrite-added control.

Increasing demands for natural, organic, and/or preservative-free foods have resulted in the consumer availability of uncured, no-nitrate/nitrite-added processed meat and poultry products. A comprehensive understanding about the quality and sensory attributes of commercially available uncured products is unclear. The objective of this study was to determine if quality and sensory differences exist between uncured and cured meat products. Five different commercial brands (Brands A to E; 4 uncured, no-nitrate/nitrite-added, and 1 nitrite-added) of 3 product types (hams, frankfurters, and bacons) were obtained from retail supermarkets. The samples were evaluated for color, pigment content, pH, lipid oxidation, residual nitrate and nitrite content, and consumer acceptance. All brands from all product types evaluated, except for 1 bacon (Brand B), had cured color, aroma, and flavor attributes similar to the nitrite-added control (Brand E). All product types and brands contained residual nitrate and residual nitrite except for Brands B and D bacons (< 1 ppm nitrite). Lipid oxidation as measured by 2-thiobarbituric acid reactive substances revealed a large variation in the occurrence of lipid oxidation both between and within product types, with frankfurters reporting the highest levels. Color measurements indicated the majority of the brands within each product type were similar to the control. Consumer sensory ratings for surface/lean color, aroma, flavor, texture, and overall acceptance determined that variation existed. Brand E (nitrite-added control) and 1 uncured, no-nitrate/nitrite-added brand for each product type were not different (P > 0.05) for overall acceptance and received higher scores (P < 0.05) than all other brands within each product type.

Tofu was prepared from samples oJ'Amsoy 71 and Vinton or Vinton 81 soybeans grown in difSerent environments. Relationships between soybean, soymilk and tofu protein, lipid, phytic acid, calcium, copper and iron were examined. All components except lipid in soybeans were signijcantly correlated with the same component in soymilk, but only phytic acid, copper and iron were significantly correlated in soybeans and tofu (moist basis). When relationships were examined on a dry basis, soybean and tofu protein were significantly correlated (r = 0.93).Soybean phytic acid was signijcantly correlated with tofu calcium (r = 0.90). %fu calcium und hardness (r = 0.73) and springiness (r = 0.83) were significantly related, and tofu protein was significantly related to fructurability (r = 0.75).The higher-protein varieties (Vinton/Vinton 81) generally produced tofu that had a higher protein content and ajrmer, more springy texture than that of the Atnsoy 71 beans. Phytic acid may preferentially bind the calcium coagulant, altering the curd structure and the yield, composition and texture of the resulting tofi.