Influence of sodium chloride on muscle UV autofluorescence characteristics.

Salted and tumbled pork teres major muscle samples, with varying sodium chloride content (1.1 % to 1.9 %), were examined by UV fluorescence spectroscopy. Results indicated that muscle fluorescence varies with salt level as a consequence of the protein denaturation state. The 1.5 % NaCl level was the threshold beyond which the fluorescence properties no longer changed markedly. Changes in muscle fluorescence do not appear to be linearly related to salt levels. Hence, we explored whether the change in fluorescence relies on other factors relating to the variability of carcass characteristics and on muscle physicochemical changes that are partly dependent on stress response and on postmortem metabolism evolution.

Deciphering PSE-like muscle defect in cooked hams: A signature from the tissue to the molecular scale.

PSE-like technological defect in the meat industry is of great importance due, to the economic loss it can cause. It has been studied from the biochemical perspective but very few studies have focused on tissular characterization. This study proposes innovative approaches that combine mechanistic elucidation and the discovery of potential biomarkers. This study focused on muscle destructuration using imaging and label-free quantitation. Oxidative stress and apoptotic processes were found to be linked to the specific evolution of the PSE-like destructuration zone, namely 'inner', within hams. Four m/z values were found to be related to the specific localization of the PSE-like defect, and a mass shift of 27 Da suggested a possible connection with oxidation. These potential markers of the PSE-like area in ham provide a new perspective to sort raw material based on the possible development of PSE-like areas.

Predicting the Quality of Meat: Myth or Reality?

This review is aimed at providing an overview of recent advances made in the field of meat quality prediction, particularly in Europe. The different methods used in research labs or by the production sectors for the development of equations and tools based on different types of biological (genomic or phenotypic) or physical (spectroscopy) markers are discussed. Through the various examples, it appears that although biological markers have been identified, quality parameters go through a complex determinism process. This makes the development of generic molecular tests even more difficult. However, in recent years, progress in the development of predictive tools has benefited from technological breakthroughs in genomics, proteomics, and metabolomics. Concerning spectroscopy, the most significant progress was achieved using near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) to predict the composition and nutritional value of meats. However, predicting the functional properties of meats using this method-mainly, the sensorial quality-is more difficult. Finally, the example of the MSA (Meat Standards Australia) phenotypic model, which predicts the eating quality of beef based on a combination of upstream and downstream data, is described. Its benefit for the beef industry has been extensively demonstrated in Australia, and its generic performance has already been proven in several countries.