Investigation of Pulsed Electric Field Conditions at Low Field Strength for the Tenderisation of Beef Topside.

Tenderness is the most critical eating quality trait of meat, and consequently, processing interventions for meat tenderisation have significant economic relevance. The objective of this study was to investigate pulsed electric field (PEF) conditions for the tenderisation of beef topside. The PEF settings included combinations of three field strengths (0.25, 0.50 and 1.00 kV/cm), two frequencies (20 and 100 Hz) and three treatment times (10, 30 and 50 ms). The effect of PEF on meat quality parameters (pH, drip loss, shear force, cook loss and colour) immediately after treatment and after storage (1 and 14 days at 4 °C) was evaluated. PEF did not affect meat tenderness after 1 day of chilled storage but resulted in a 5-10% reduction in the shear force in some cases (0.25-0.5 kV/cm) compared to the untreated control after 14 days of storage. Other quality traits (cook loss and colour) were not impaired. Thus, we concluded that PEF technology is a possible intervention to improve meat tenderness of beef topside after 2 weeks of storage.

Beer and beer-based beverage contain lignans.

Lignans are members of a broad group of plant phenols that can positively affect human health. They occur in negligible quantities in processed foodstuffs such as lager beer. The aim of this work was to utilize the high levels of lignans in the knots of spruce trees (Picea abies) to increase the lignans content in beer, without negatively impacting the natural taste and aroma. By means of lignans addition in the forms of spruce knot chips or different extracts made from spruce knots during the wort boiling were produced beer and beer-based beverages with lignans content ranging from 34 to 174 mg/L.

Authentication of animal fats using direct analysis in real time (DART) ionization-mass spectrometry and chemometric tools.

A combination of direct analysis in real time (DART) ionization coupled to time-of-flight mass spectrometry (TOFMS) and chemometrics was used for animal fat (lard and beef tallow) authentication. This novel instrumentation was employed for rapid profiling of triacylglycerols (TAGs) and polar compounds present in fat samples and their mixtures. Additionally, fat isolated from pork, beef, and pork/beef admixtures was analyzed. Mass spectral records were processed by principal component analysis (PCA) and stepwise linear discriminant analysis (LDA). DART-TOFMS profiles of TAGs were found to be more suitable for the purpose of discrimination among the examined fat types as compared to profiles of polar compounds. The LDA model developed using TAG data enabled not only reliable classification of samples representing neat fats but also detection of admixed lard and tallow at adulteration levels of 5 and 10% (w/w), respectively. The presented approach was also successfully applied to minced meat prepared from pork and beef with comparable fat content. Using the DART-TOFMS TAG profiles of fat isolated from meat mixtures, detection of 10% pork added to beef and vice versa was possible.