Effect of commercial plant extracts on the oxidative stability of mechanically deboned poultry meat during chilled storage.

The effect of commercial plant extracts (grape, rosemary, pomegranate, green tea, and mate) at 0.125, 0.25, 0.50, and 1 % w/w concentrations as a natural antioxidant in mechanically deboned poultry meat (MDPM) was evaluated. The extracts were characterized for the content of phenolic compounds, total flavonoids, and antioxidant activity. Lipid oxidation (TBARS), instrumental color (L*, a*, and b* values), and pH of MDPM were evaluated on days 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 of chilled storage (2 °C). All commercial extracts showed antioxidant activity in the following order: grape > green tea > mate > rosemary > pomegranate, the latter addition promoted the highest TBARS values in MDPM during storage. The levels of 0.5, 0.25, and 0.125 % of grape, green tea, mate, and rosemary extracts showed the same positive effect in decelerating lipid oxidation in MDPM. The pH values of the MDPM decreased with increasing the extract concentrations. The commercial extracts led to a decrease in L* and b* values, and the grape extract provided the highest a* values in MDPM during chilled storage. The addition of commercial plant-derived extracts has proven to be an effective natural antioxidant to extend the shelf life of MDPM and consequently healthier and quality meat products can be produced.

Challenges to reduce or replace NaCl by chloride salts in meat products made from whole pieces - a review.

NaCl is fundamental for the development of the physico-chemical, sensorial and microbiological stability in meat products made from whole pieces such as dry-cured lacón, loin, ham, bacon, jerked beef, and pastirma). The substitution of NaCl by other chloride salts (KCl, CaCl2 and MgCl2), in order to minimize changes in the processing steps and insertion of new ingredients, is a major challenge for the elaboration of salted meat products in the context of increasing awareness among consumer about sodium consumption and health. This review aims to discuss the potential use of binary, ternary and quaternary salting mixtures in the processing of salted meat products and their effects on microbiological evolution and safety, sensory properties, oxidative reactions on proteins and lipid, and proteolysis and lipolysis reactions. More specifically, the substitution of NaCl by other chloride salts can influence the growth of microorganisms, the formation of toxic compounds, progression of enzymatic and oxidative reactions, and the sensory attributes. Scientific evidences from a food technological point of view, support the use of KCl to partially replace NaCl while major advances/more sophisticated strategies are still necessary to effectively introduce CaCl2 and MgCl2 as NaCl replacers. Moreover, further studies regarding the shelf-life and economic problems of the alternatively salted products are still necessary.

Adding lysine and yeast extract improves sensory properties of low sodium salted meat.

The partial reduction of Sodium Chloride (NaCl) and the use of lysine, yeast extract and substitute salts Potassium Chloride (KCl) and Calcium Chloride (CaCl2) in the characteristics of salted meat was investigated. Proximate composition, physicochemical properties (pH, water activity, lipid oxidation), instrumental analysis (color, shear force), microbiological analysis (total counts, lactic acid bacteria counts, thermally tolerant coliforms, and total coliforms) and sensory evaluation (120 consumers) were performed. The partial replacement of NaCl by KCl and CaCl2 significantly reduced the sodium content of salted meat treatments, while lysine and yeast extract minimized the negative sensory effects due to the addition of KCl and CaCl2. The addition of lysine and yeast extract increased the sensory acceptance and decreased rancid aroma, salty taste, and aftertaste of salted meat made with a blend of NaCl + KCl + CaCl2, with no differences in the physiochemical quality parameters. Moreover, the treatments made with the blend NaCl + KCl exhibited characteristics similar to traditional salted meat formulations.

Q Methodology: An interesting strategy for concept profile and sensory description of low sodium salted meat.

The conceptual representation and sensory profiling of low sodium salted meat containing different flavor enhancers (n = 9) were investigated using the Q methodology. Seventy consumers performed a Q-sorting task having in mind the health concept, using a hedonic test and sensory description of the samples. Regular sodium salted meats were associated to the health concept and were characterized by as too much salt, fatty, salty taste, strange taste, and high blood pressure, while the low-sodium samples were associated with good appearance, metallic taste, and healthy. The Health questionnaire showed it is a valorization of food with improved sensory characteristics in addition and the importance of physical and emotional health. Our findings suggested the Q methodology can be an interesting tool for meat processors, together with the traditional sensory test with consumers, to obtain more consistent and complementary information about meat products.

Substitution effects of NaCl by KCl and CaCl2 on Lipolysis of Salted Meat.

The objective of this study was to investigate the reduction and partial substitution effects of sodium chloride (NaCl) by potassium chloride (KCl) and calcium chloride (CaCl2) on lipolysis and lipid oxidation in salted meat aiming at reducing sodium content. To evaluate the effect of different salts on lipid oxidation thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARs) assay was performed along 180 days. Furthermore, ESI-MS/MS and GC analysis were conducted to detect and identify oxidized lipids, volatile compounds and free fatty acids profiles during the meat processing time. Lipid profiles from different salted meat demonstrated that CaCl2 salt have inducted more lipid oxidation when compared to the combination of NaCl and KCl salts, highlighting the implication of CaCl2 on increased lipolysis reactions. Moreover, the obtained results from both the analyses suggest that a combination of NaCl and KCl salts can be a good alternative for reducing the sodium content without compromising the quality of the salted meat.

Understanding the effect of different chloride salts on the water behavior in the salted meat matrix along 180 days of shelf life.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of different chloride salts (NaCl, KCl, and CaCl2) on water behavior in salted meat during 180 days of shelf life by Low Field Nuclear Magnetic Resonance and physicochemical analysis. Four salted meat treatments were made using the following salts in the wet and dry salting steps: FC1: 100% NaCl; F1: 50% NaCl +50% KCl; F2: 50% NaCl +50% CaCl2; F3: 50% NaCl +25% KCl + 25% CaCl2. The analyses performed were: moisture, pH, aw, weight loss and Low Field Nuclear Magnetic Resonance. The use of CaCl2 as a salt substitute to NaCl during the elaboration of salted meat caused a decrease of pH and higher values of aw and weight loss when compared with the treatments containing only NaCl or NaCl + KCl. The morphology of the salted meat changed with the addition of CaCl2, possibly making the matrix structure more open and facilitating dehydration, whereas the NaCl replacement by KCl did not cause significant modifications in salted meat characteristics during 180 days of storage. In general, the results demonstrated that the addition of KCl may be a good alternative to reduce the sodium content in salted meat product, and the Low Field Nuclear Magnetic Resonance method has proved a good tool for obtaining additional information on the changes that salts can cause in the structure of salted meat products.

Reducing 50% sodium chloride in healthier jerked beef: An efficient design to ensure suitable stability, technological and sensory properties.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of the partial replacement of NaCl by blends of KCl and CaCl2 on the physicochemical, microbiological, and sensory properties of jerked beef. For that, in the dry and wet salting stages, 50% NaCl of the control treatment (FC1) was replaced by 50% KCl (F1), 50% CaCl2 (F2), and a blend containing 25% KCl and 25% CaCl2 (F3) at equivalent concentrations based on the ionic strength. All reformulated treatments presented a significant sodium reduction when compared to the control (27.57% F1, 41.59% F2, and 36.74% F3). The CaCl2 blends resulted in final products with bitter taste and rancid aroma accompanied by a higher TBARS and shear force and lower a* values (P < .05). The substitute salts did not affect the microbiological stability (P > .05). The present results demonstrate that adding 50% KCl may be a good strategy to reduce sodium in jerked beef.