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

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.

Ultrasonic evaluation of thermodynamic parameters of liquids under high pressure.

In many technological processes (e.g., in the chemical, petrochemical, food, and plastics industries), liquids are subjected to high pressures and temperatures. Therefore, knowledge of their thermodynamic properties is essential for understanding, design, and control of the process technology. Direct evaluation of the thermodynamic parameters of liquids under high pressure, using conventional methods, is very difficult. Therefore, the application of these methods in industrial conditions, particularly in on-line control of the technological parameters of liquids, is practically impossible. Ultrasonic methods (e.g., sound speed measurements) are very suitable for this purpose because of their simplicity and accuracy. The sound velocity is closely related to numerous thermodynamic properties of liquids. The objective of this paper is to address the influence of temperature and pressure on the thermodynamic parameters of liquids, using the example of diacylglycerol (DAG) oil, employing ultrasonic methods. In this paper, we present ultrasonic velocity and density measurements (performed by the authors) in DAG oil over a range of pressures and temperatures. On the basis of experimental results (the sound velocity and liquid density versus pressure and temperature) a series of DAG oil thermodynamic parameters such as specific heat ratio, intermolecular free path length, Van der Waals constant b, surface tension, and effective Debye temperature were evaluated as functions of pressure and temperature.

Determination of physicochemical properties of diacylglycerol oil at high pressure by means of ultrasonic methods.

The purpose of the paper is to address, using ultrasonic methods, the impact of temperature and pressure on the physicochemical properties of liquids on the example of diacylglycerol (DAG) oil. The paper presents measurements of sound velocity, density and volume of DAG oil sample in the pressure range from atmospheric pressure up to 0.6GPa and at temperatures ranging from 20 to 50°C. Sound speed measurements were performed in an ultrasonic setup with a DAG oil sample located in the high-pressure chamber. An ultrasonic method that uses cross-correlation method to determine the time-of-flight of the ultrasonic pulses through the liquid was employed to measure the sound velocity in DAG oil. This method is fast and reliable tool for measuring sound velocity. The DAG oil density at high pressure was determined from the monitoring of sample volume change. The adiabatic compressibility and isothermal compressibility have been calculated on the basis of experimental data. Discontinuities in isotherms of the sound speed versus pressure point to the existence of phase transitions in DAG oil. The ultrasonic method presented in this study can be applied to investigate the physicochemical parameters of other liquids not only edible oils.