Application of Density Measurements for Discrimination and Evaluation of Chemical Composition of Different Types of Mechanically Separated Meat (MSM)

Abstract

At present, the problem of identifying and controlling different types of Mechanically Separated Meat (MSM) is a very important practical issue in the meat industry. To address this challenge, the authors propose a new, analytical method for the discrimination and characterization of MSM that uses density measurements. The method proposed by the authors, in contrast to the analytical methods existing so far, is rapid, non-destructive, relatively simple and can be computerized. The density measurements of meat samples were conducted with a modified pycnometric method. Statistically significant (p<0.01) differences were found in the evaluated mean values of density for all investigated types of meat. Subsequently, the density measurements were correlated with the physicochemical properties of meat samples. A high correlation coefficient was found between the density of meat samples and the content of protein, sodium and fat. The authors have proven that density measurements allow for rapid discrimination of various types of MSM, and can also be effectively used to determine the chemical composition of MSM samples, e.g., the content of protein, fat and sodium.

Prevalence of consumption of mechanically separated meat, consumer profile, nutrient intake and food choices among manufacturing workers in Northeastern Brazil

“…Furthermore, MSM is not equivalent to manually boned meat. A study evaluating the chemical composition of MSM through density measurements, found that manually boned meat, in relation to all types of MSM, is characterized by higher density, higher protein content and lower sodium, calcium and fat content 2 . Therefore, replacing manually boned meat with MSM cannot be justified as an improvement in nutritional composition.…”

“…MSM is used as an ingredient in a variety of meat products and may have a significant impact on their quality, as well as on consumer satisfaction and safety 1 . Due to its low cost, MSM is widely used in the food industry 2 and is commonly used in meat processing around the world, mainly in cooked or roasted meat products, canned meat, homogenized sausages, frankfurters, bologna, nuggets, patties and many other ready-to-eat ultra-processed food products 3 , 4 .…”

Determination of Calcium in Meat Products by Automatic Titration with 1,2-Diaminocyclohexane-N,N,N’,N’-tetraacetic Acid

“…Bone fragments in meat can also be detected by X-ray microtomography [ 7 , 10 ] and ESR spectroscopy [ 8 ]. The type of MSM can be identified by measuring the density and velocity of ultrasound waves [ 11 , 12 ].…”