Quality Characteristics of a Low-Fat Beef Patty Enriched by Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids and Vitamin D3.

Olive and linseed oils have high contents of oleic acid and n-3 fatty acids (FA), respectively. Vitamin D3 , an essential nutrient, is in low contents in meat. This study investigated the potential application of olive and linseed oils' mixture as a backfat replacer, and vitamin D3 as a supplement, in order to develop a product enriched by polyunsaturated FAs and vitamin D3 . Two treatments were manufactured: conventional (C: 0% emulsion, 0 µg vitamin D3 /100 g product) and modified (M: 10.9% emulsion/, 8.3 µg vitamin D3 /100 g product). The quality characteristics and cooking effects on the FA and vitamin D3 contents were assessed. The sensory properties of cooked patties were not affected by olive and linseed oils' mixture (P > 0.05). The instrumental textural parameters were lower in cooked M patties (P < 0.01), except springiness (P = 0.766) that was not affected by formulation. The contents of α-linoleic acid in M patty were 19-fold higher than those from C patty. The contents of n-3 and n-6 were higher in M patty (P < 0.05) than in C patty. Although cooking decreased the content of vitamin D3 in M patty (6.7 compared with 5.2 µg/100 g product), considerable increments were achieved compared to C patty. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: There is an increasing demand of consumers for healthier meat products; therefore, the improvement of their nutritional profile without negatively affecting quality characteristics is key factor for meat sector. This study emphasizes the feasibility of using the combination of olive and linseed oils' mixture and vitamin D3 to yield new meat products with high contents of polyunsaturated fatty acids and vitamin D3 . The effectiveness of combination of oils mixture and vitamin D3 tested in this study is proven and the high contribution of vitamin D3 and some fatty acids of nutritional interest identified.

Effects of enrichment with polyunsaturated fatty acids (omega-3 and conjugated linoleic acid) on consumer liking of beef aged for 7 or 21 d evaluated at different locations.

The effect of different animal diets supplemented with linseed (source of omega-3 fatty acids: n-3) and/or conjugated linoleic acid (CON: control, LIN: 10% linseed, CLA: 2% conjugated linoleic acid, LINCLA: 10% linseed plus 2% CLA) on consumer liking of beef aged for 7 or 21 d was assessed in 3 Spanish cities. Overall, tenderness, juiciness, and flavor liking of beef were evaluated by consumers (n = 720) using 9-point scales. Hedonic scores assigned by consumers did not differ (P > 0.05) for beef from animals fed the different diets and aged for 7 or 21 d. Consumer scores showed an increasing trend in beef liking with aging time. Consumers from Pamplona assigned lower (P < 0.05) hedonic scores for beef liking than consumers from Barcelona and Zaragoza. Linseed and/or CLA can be fed to improve the fatty acid profile in beef with minimal impact on consumer liking. Consumer ratings seem to depend on regional tastes and preferences.

Carcass characteristics, meat quality and nutritional value of horsemeat: a review.

Meat has exerted a crucial role in human evolution and is an important component of a healthy and well balanced diet due to its nutritional richness. The aim of the present review was to shed light on the nutritional composition of horsemeat and their benefits for human health. One of the reasons for such interest was the occurrence, in Europe several years ago, of dioxin, Bovine Encephalopathy and foot-and-mouth disease problems in farm animals. Therefore, consumers began to look for alternative red meats from other non-traditional species. There is no carcass classification system on horses designated to meat consumption. It would be advisable to standardize the equine meat market to reduce variations that may reflect differences in meat quality. The nutritional composition of horsemeat by comparison with pork, beef or poultry is characterized by low levels of fat and cholesterol (about 20% less), relatively high concentrations of n-3 fatty acids and heme iron indicating that its consumption may be beneficial for health. Therefore, horsemeat may supplement the meat market with good quality products, although as in other dietary components moderation is advisable.