THIAMINE, RIBOFLAVIN, AND NIACIN CONTENT OF PROCESSED MEATS^a

Abstract

Extensive studies have been conducted on the vitamin content of uiicooked and cooked fresh meats; however, the data available on the vitamin content of various processed meats are limited. The ready-to-eat ineats classified as sausages, for example, constitute approximately 10% of the total meat production of government-inspected plants (2). The purpose of the present studies was to determine the proximate composition and thiamine, riboflavin, and niacin content of certain processed meats obtained during 1949 and also in 1950. The samples selected for this study included sausage items, canned meat products, and cured meats. EXPERIMENTAL METHODSThe meat samples were purchased from a retail store that had a high turnover and large meat trade. Two or more pounds of each type of meat were obtained and the sausage and luncheon meat samples were taken from uncut pieces of meat that had not been in the showcase. For the canned meats packed in less than 1-pound cans the entire contents of 4 or 5 cans were used and pooled. All samples were ground and thoroughly mixed to assure homogeneity. They were then stored at 23"F.(5"C.) prior to analysis. These samples were ion, thiamine, riboflavin, and niacin. Thiamine was oflavin both fluorometrically and microbiologically, an ly with the use of methods similar t o those described by the Association of Vitamin Chemists (1).The proximate analyses and vitamin content of the samples obtained in 1949 are summarized in Table 1 and f o r 1950 in Table 2. RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONThe results show that all of the meat products except head cheese, potted meat, and bacon were excellent sources of niacin. Bacon and head cheese were low in riboflavin. When the vitamin content of the samples are compared on a n equal protein basis bacon compares favorably with the other samples in vitamin content.Thiamine was low in all products that did not contain pork. For the pork products, the thiamine content was variable, which undoubtedly reflected the severity of the processing methods, the amount of pork used in the products, the variation in thiamine content of different muscles and the thiamine nutrition of the animals before slaughter (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, f0, 11, 12, 13, 14). The values for the pork products studied varied from 0.15 to 0.50 mg. per 100 g., while values from 0.6 to 1.5 have been observed for uncooked pork loin and ham samples. Although the values are not strictly