Technological and sensory characteristics of hamburgers made with polyunsaturated gelled emulsions.

The quest for healthiness has driven the meat industry to seek solutions to reduce or replace saturated animal fat. The replacement (partial or total) of animal fat by polyunsaturated vegetable oils rich in omega fatty acids has gained prominence in terms of making a product healthier. However, an obstacle to this strategy is the effects on the sensory characteristics of the products, which may be unfavorable to consumers. The objective of this study was to evaluate the lipid reformulation of hamburgers through the total replacement of pork fat with canola, sunflower, and corn oil emulsions. The physical-chemical, technological, and sensory properties analyses were performed. There were no significant changes (P > 0.05) in moisture content, protein content, ash content, pH, weight loss (%), moisture retention (%), or shrinkage (%). However, the lipid content was reduced (P < 0.05) and there was a significant improvement in the fatty acid profile with the application of gelled emulsions. The lipid peroxidation and oxidation also increased (P < 0.05) for the samples with the addition of gelled emulsions, and we observed the same behavior for lipid retention (%). In the sensory evaluation, the samples showed good overall acceptance, with hedonic scores ranging from "like slightly" to "like very much." In addition, through check-all-that-apply questions, we observed that the most positive scores given applied to the treatments were applied to the emulsions. The total replacement of animal fat by gelled emulsions is a promising strategy for producing healthier hamburgers.

Photolumiscent properties of nanorods and nanoplates Y2O3:Eu3+.

Nanorods and nanoplates of Y(2)O(3):Eu(3+) powders were synthesized through the thermal decomposition of the Y(OH)(3) precursors using a microwave-hydrothermal method in a very short reaction time. These powders were analyzed by X-ray diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscopy, Fourrier transform Raman, as well as photoluminescence measurements. Based on these results, these materials presented nanoplates and nanorods morphologies. The broad emission band between 300 and 440 nm ascribed to the photoluminescence of Y(2)O(3) matrix shifts as the procedure used in the microwave-hydrothermal assisted method changes in the Y(2)O(3):Eu(3+) samples. The presence of Eu(3+) and the hydrothermal treatment time are responsible for the band shifts in Y(2)O(3):Eu(3+) powders, since in the pure Y(2)O(3) matrix this behavior was not observed. Y(2)O(3):Eu(3+) powders also show the characteristic Eu(3+) emission lines at 580, 591, 610, 651 and 695 nm, when excited at 393 nm. The most intense band at 610 nm is responsible for the Eu(3+) red emission in these materials, and the Eu(3+) lifetime for this transition presented a slight increase as the time used in the microwave-hydrothermal assisted method increases.

Temporal dominance of sensations and check-all-that-apply analysis of restructured cooked hams elaborated with different salt content and pork quality meats.

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of salt (NaCl) content of 1.2%, 1.6%, and 2.0% in the sensory characteristics of restructured cooked hams, formulated with abnormal (PSE; pale, soft, and exudative) and normal (RFN; reddish pink, firm, and non-exudative) meats. The products with 1.2% added salt had higher (P < 0.05) acceptance scores for flavor, regardless of the type of meat used. Hams manufactured with PSE meat and 1.2% salt content had higher (P < 0.05) overall impression scores and were associated with the terms "characteristic ham flavor", "juicy", and "soft" in the check-all-that-apply analysis. RFN meat samples with 1.6% and 2.0% salt content were respectively associated to "rubbery" and "firm" texture. The ham flavor was always reported at the beginning of the temporal dominance of sensation test, followed by the term "salty" for the samples with 2.0% salt and "meaty" in the samples with 1.2% salt. The term "umami taste" appears to be associated to that samples made with PSE meat. These results led to the conclusion that PSE meat had a positive effect on the sensory profile of restructured cooked hams, especially in those formulated with 1.2% salt.

Comparison of Warner-Bratzler shear force values between round and square cross-section cores for assessment of beef Longissimus tenderness.

The objective of this experiment was to determine whether there is a difference between Warner-Blatzler shear force values of round (WBSF) and square (WBsSF) cross-section cores for assessment of beef tenderness. To compare the effect of core sampling, Longissimus thoracis muscles were obtained from 43 beef carcasses at 1, 14, and 28days postmortem. For each sample, tenderness was assessed by a trained sensory panel and by WBSF and WBsSF techniques. There was a strong and linear relationship (R2=0.77) between WBSF and WBsSF, but the average shear force of square cores were (P<0.05) greater than those of round cores. The WBsSF had greater repeatability (R=0.85 vs 0.81) and explained slightly more of the variation in sensory panel perception of beef tenderness (76% vs 74%) than WBSF. The results indicate that WBsSF seems to be a more precise method of measuring shear force, being little more sensitive for detecting tenderness differences than WBSF.