Health and safety aspects of traditional European meat products. A review.

Meat products constitute one of the most important groups of traditional foods. Thanks to the unique and favorable organoleptic characteristics, and high quality, they are willingly chosen by consumers. Lately, there has been a growing concern over the health aspects of these products. Therefore, the aim of this study was to analyze the nutritional value and factors affecting quality and health safety of traditional meat products on the basis of available literature. The study findings have revealed various issues with uniformity of traditional meat products. Products of the same name may differ substantially considering nutritional value. Reports also indicate that there are some discrepancies which can be attributed to product character (traditional/conventional). They mainly concern the content of moisture, protein, salt, fat, and fatty acid profile. Research suggests that traditional meat products may also be associated with some health safety issues, such as the presence of pathogens, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, nitrate and nitrite residues, N-nitrosamines, biogenic amines and heavy metals.

Antimicrobial Effects of Basil, Summer Savory and Tarragon Lyophilized Extracts in Cold Storage Sausages.

The problem of functional foods with bioactive components of natural origin is current for the food industry. Plant extracts rich in polyphenols with antioxidant and antimicrobial activity are a promising source for use in improving the quality and characteristics of fresh meat and meat products. In this context, the purpose of the present study was to evaluate the physico-chemical, microbiological, sensory properties of sausages prepared with the addition of lyophilized extract of basil, thyme or tarragon. For the beginning, the total amount of polyphenols, the antioxidant and antimicrobial activity of the extracts obtained from three spices were evaluated. In the sausages previously infected with Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli it was observed that there is a much larger number of colonies of microorganisms in the control sample compared to the other samples within 24 and 48 h. Moreover, following the addition of sausage extracts, no changes were found regarding their sensory acceptability.

Line-scan Raman scattering image and multivariate analysis for rapid and noninvasive detection of restructured beef.

The mean spectral (MS) features were extracted from Raman scattering images (RSI) of beef samples over the region of interest covering the spectral range of 789-1710cm-1 and the spatial offset range of 0-5 mm (for two sides of the incident laser). The RSI monitored the main change in the protein, amide bands, lipids, and amino acid residues. The classification model performance based on MS features compared the conventional Raman spectral features and confirmed the usefulness of RSI. Finally, the results showed that RSI technology is a reliable tool for rapid and noninvasive detection of restructured beef.

Effects of Green Tea Powder, Pomegranate Peel Powder, Epicatechin and Punicalagin Additives on Antimicrobial, Antioxidant Potential and Quality Properties of Raw Meatballs.

Alternative technologies, which have been developed in order to meet the consumers' demand for nourishing and healthy meat and meat products, are followed by the food industry. In the present study, it was determined, using the HPLC method, that green tea contains a high level of epicatechin (EP) under optimal conditions and that pomegranate peel contains a high level of punicalagin (PN). Green tea, pomegranate peel, EP and PN were added to meatballs at different concentrations in eight groups. The antioxidant capacities of extracts were measured. The antimicrobial activity was examined for 72 h using three different food pathogens. The highest level of antimicrobial activity was achieved in the 1% punicalagin group, whereas the minimum inhibition concentration (L. monocytogenes, S. typhimurium) was found to be 1.87 mg/mL. A statistically significant decrease was found in FFA, POV and TBARS levels of meatballs on different days of storage (p < 0.05). When compared to the control group, the bioactive compounds preserved the microbiological and chemical properties of meatballs during storage at +4 °C (14 days). It was concluded that the extracts with high EP and PN concentrations can be used as bio-preservative agents for meat and meat products.

Assessing levels of traditionality and naturalness depicted on labels of fermented meat products in the retail: Exploring relations with price, quality and branding strategy.

Food labelling is a tool to inform consumers about the specifications and characteristics of a product. Additionally, labels display information about traditionality and naturalness, of which the meaning is highly subjective. There is a paucity of research examining attributes both of tradition and naturalness. In this study, traditionality was assessed by a model that included temporal, geographical, know-how, and cultural components. Naturalness was evaluated based on bio/organic elements, 'free-from' claims, and natural ingredients. Therefore, a content analysis tool was developed to analyze and score labels of fermented meat products, which generated insights in the key label characteristics of tradition and naturalness. The degree of tradition and naturalness was the average of their subdimensions which were scored based on the displayed elements. A higher degree of tradition and naturalness was linked to higher prices. Fermented meat labels were found to be strongly embedded in 'authenticity', and less in naturalness, an element more attractive for private labels than for branded products.

Do consumers prefer pasture-raised dual-purpose cattle when considering meat products? A hypothetical discrete choice experiment for the case of minced beef.

Livestock production is criticised for animal welfare conditions and its impact on the environment. Pasture-raised dual-purpose cattle may be able to provide an opportunity for more sustainable livestock production. Despite societal interest and substantial grazing opportunities in several regions of northern Europe, the market share of sustainably produced beef is currently low. This study investigated consumer preferences and willingness-to-pay for pasture-raised beef from dual-purpose cattle. Data were obtained from a hypothetical choice experiment (n = 513), attributing the type of husbandry (stable-based, pasture-raised, pasture-raised using nature conservation areas), breed (no description, single-purpose, dual-purpose), production method (conventional, organic), origin (locally produced, produced in Germany), and price (5.98, 11.98, 17.98, 23.98 €/kg), and were analysed using random parameter logit modelling. The most important overall attribute was 'type of husbandry' followed by 'breed', indicating consumers' concerns for animal welfare and naturalness. Our analyses revealed a clear preference for pasture-raised dual-purpose cattle, demonstrating great market potential for animal welfare-friendly meat products.

On the use of whole-genome sequence data for across-breed genomic prediction and fine-scale mapping of QTL.

BACKGROUND: Whole-genome sequence (WGS) data are increasingly available on large numbers of individuals in animal and plant breeding and in human genetics through second-generation resequencing technologies, 1000 genomes projects, and large-scale genotype imputation from lower marker densities. Here, we present a computationally fast implementation of a variable selection genomic prediction method, that could handle WGS data on more than 35,000 individuals, test its accuracy for across-breed predictions and assess its quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping precision. METHODS: The Monte Carlo Markov chain (MCMC) variable selection model (Bayes GC) fits simultaneously a genomic best linear unbiased prediction (GBLUP) term, i.e. a polygenic effect whose correlations are described by a genomic relationship matrix (G), and a Bayes C term, i.e. a set of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with large effects selected by the model. Computational speed is improved by a Metropolis-Hastings sampling that directs computations to the SNPs, which are, a priori, most likely to be included into the model. Speed is also improved by running many relatively short MCMC chains. Memory requirements are reduced by storing the genotype matrix in binary form. The model was tested on a WGS dataset containing Holstein, Jersey and Australian Red cattle. The data contained 4,809,520 genotypes on 35,549 individuals together with their milk, fat and protein yields, and fat and protein percentage traits. RESULTS: The prediction accuracies of the Jersey individuals improved by 1.5% when using across-breed GBLUP compared to within-breed predictions. Using WGS instead of 600 k SNP-chip data yielded on average a 3% accuracy improvement for Australian Red cows. QTL were fine-mapped by locating the SNP with the highest posterior probability of being included in the model. Various QTL known from the literature were rediscovered, and a new SNP affecting milk production was discovered on chromosome 20 at 34.501126 Mb. Due to the high mapping precision, it was clear that many of the discovered QTL were the same across the five dairy traits. CONCLUSIONS: Across-breed Bayes GC genomic prediction improved prediction accuracies compared to GBLUP. The combination of across-breed WGS data and Bayesian genomic prediction proved remarkably effective for the fine-mapping of QTL.

Physiochemical properties of reduced-fat duck meat emulsion systems: effects of preemulsification with vegetable oils and duck skin.

The effects of commercial vegetable oils and duck skin on quality characteristics of a reduced-fat duck meat emulsion were examined. The cooking loss, emulsion stability, and hardness were lower for emulsions preemulsified with vegetable oils and duck skin (P < 0.05) than for the control. Storage modulus (G') and loss modulus (G″) of reduced-fat duck meat emulsions treated with corn, grape seed, soy, and olive oils were similar to the values of control; the highest G' and G″ values were reported for the reduced-fat duck meat emulsion treated with coconut oil. Myofibril protein solubility was the highest for the reduced-fat duck meat emulsion treated with coconut oil and duck skin (P < 0.05). Replacing of pork back fat with different vegetable oils for emulsification may impart superior quality to reduced-fat duck meat emulsion. We recommend preemulsion with vegetable oils and duck skin to enhance the quality characteristics of reduced-fat duck meat emulsion.

Modeling the behavior of Listeria innocua in Italian salami during the production and high-pressure validation of processes for exportation to the U.S.

A model describing Listeria innocua evolution according to process parameters of 51 Italian salami processes and HPP in 31 companies was developed. A total of 51 challenge tests were performed. During processing a L. innocua reduction of 0.34-4.32 Log10 CFU/g was observed and HPP further reduced the count of 0.48-3.47 Log10 CFU/g; an overall reduction of 1.04-5.68 is reached. PH after acidification/drying process, aw after seasoning, duration of the seasoning and caliber resulted associated (p < 0.05) with L. innocua decrease. HPP efficacy was associated (p < 0.05) with aw and pH of the product: higher the pH and aw after the acidification/drying and seasoning phases, higher resulted the L. innocua reduction after HPP. No significant association was observed between L.innocua and salt, nitrate and starter content and other characteristics of process. The model meets companies and Authorities needs and represents a useful tool to predict L. monocytogenes lethality, giving recommendations to food business operators interested in exportation to the U.S.

Multiplex PCR and 12S rRNA gene sequencing for detection of meat adulteration: A case study in the Egyptian markets.

Recently, DNA-based methods have proved to be accurate, fast and sensitive for meat authentication. According to the European Union, the food safety standards require accurate and detailed composition information of the meat products. Therefore, an accurate, fast and cost-effective identification methodology is needed. In this study, multiplex PCR coupled with 12S rDNA sequencing was employed for the detection of meat adulteration in two red meat products (frozen beef liver and cold cut samples, respectively) in Egypt. Multiplex PCR allowed the identification of ruminant, poultry, pork, and donkey residuals in processed red meat products (cold cuts) in a single step PCR reaction. Preliminary uniplex PCR was performed to evaluate primers specificity using DNA extracted from the positive control samples. The primers produced specific fragments for ruminant, poultry, pork, and donkey as follows: 271, 183, 531 and 145 bp, respectively. Multiplex PCR revealed that none of the samples was contaminated by porcine or donkey residuals, but 62.5% of all tested processed beef samples contained poultry contaminants. The sensitivity of this method was 0.01 ng/µL for beef, poultry and donkey and 0.1 ng/µL for pig. Another promising finding is the identification of all frozen beef liver samples as a cattle species (Bos taurus) through PCR-sequencing of a short fragment of 12S rRNA gene. Finally, we recommend the employment of multiplex PCR and PCR-sequencing of 12S rDNA for quality control in routine analysis of processed and frozen meat products.

Instrumental texture analysis on the surface of dry-cured ham to define the end of the process.

The end of the elaboration process of dry-cured ham is currently decided by product weight loss and/or by an expert who carries out an evaluation of the tactile texture on the surface. The objective of this study was to define the optimal measurement conditions of an instrumental texture analysis on the surface of the dry-cured ham (ITAS), to define the end of process. 120 dry-cured hams were classified by experts into Hard (appropriate) or Soft (non-appropriate) texture groups and used to perform compression tests using different probes on three anatomical positions. Results showed that the small probe in position 2 gave the most discriminant conditions, providing representative information of the internal texture. Although classification using only weight loss was possible with an accuracy rate of 80.4% or 66.7% depending on the weight loss, the maximum classification accuracy was obtained when using ITAS in combination with weight loss. Further studies at industrial level are needed.

Temporal dominance of sensations and check-all-that-apply analysis of restructured cooked hams elaborated with different salt content and pork quality meats.

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of salt (NaCl) content of 1.2%, 1.6%, and 2.0% in the sensory characteristics of restructured cooked hams, formulated with abnormal (PSE; pale, soft, and exudative) and normal (RFN; reddish pink, firm, and non-exudative) meats. The products with 1.2% added salt had higher (P < 0.05) acceptance scores for flavor, regardless of the type of meat used. Hams manufactured with PSE meat and 1.2% salt content had higher (P < 0.05) overall impression scores and were associated with the terms "characteristic ham flavor", "juicy", and "soft" in the check-all-that-apply analysis. RFN meat samples with 1.6% and 2.0% salt content were respectively associated to "rubbery" and "firm" texture. The ham flavor was always reported at the beginning of the temporal dominance of sensation test, followed by the term "salty" for the samples with 2.0% salt and "meaty" in the samples with 1.2% salt. The term "umami taste" appears to be associated to that samples made with PSE meat. These results led to the conclusion that PSE meat had a positive effect on the sensory profile of restructured cooked hams, especially in those formulated with 1.2% salt.

The effect of selected lactic acid bacterial strains on the technological and microbiological quality of mechanically separated poultry meat cured with a reduced amount of sodium nitrite.

The aim of the research was to estimate the effect of selected lactic acid bacterial strains on the technological quality and microbiological stability of mechanically separated poultry meat (MSPM) cured with a reduced amount of sodium nitrite. The 5 different treatments of MSPM batters were prepared: C150 - control cured with sodium nitrite at 150 mg/kg, C50 - control cured with sodium nitrite at 50 mg/kg, PL1 - cured with sodium nitrite at 50 mg/kg and inoculated Lactobacillus plantarum SCH1 at about 107 cfu/g, PL2 - cured with sodium nitrite at 50 mg/kg and inoculated Lactobacillus brevis KL5 at about 107 cfu/g, and PL3 - cured sodium nitrite at 50 mg/kg and inoculated L. plantarum S21 at about 107 cfu/g. The MSPM batters were tested at 1, 4 and 7 d of being in refrigerated storage. The scope of the research was as follows - physicochemical determinations: pH and redox, nitrates and nitrites as well as nitrosyl pigments levels, color estimation with a Comission Internationale de l'Eclairage Lab system and microbiological determinations: the total viable counts, the mesophilic lactic acid bacteria counts, Escherichia coli and Enterobacteriaceae counts. The inhibitory effect of L. plantarum SCH1 isolated from the ecological raw fermented meat product on E. coli in cured MSPM batters during refrigerated storage was proved (P < 0.05). The use of lactic acid bacterial strains in cured batters that were prepared and based on mechanically separated poultry meat did not have a negative effect on their technological quality. The positive effect of L. brevis KL5 on the level of nitrosyl pigments in the cured MSPM batters was observed (P < 0.05). The conducted research suggested the possibility of using the selected bacterial strains of the Lactobacillus genus to improve the microbiological quality of MSPM cured with a reduced amount of sodium nitrite.

Heterocyclic aromatic amine level and quality characteristics of selected Harbin red sausages in the northern Chinese market.

The heterocyclic aromatic amine (HAA) level and quality characteristics of selected Harbin red sausages in the northern Chinese market and the possible differences between traditional sausages and conventional sausages were evaluated in this study. Four varieties of traditional sausages and four varieties of conventional sausages were selected. Compared to conventional sausages, traditional sausages had lower moisture content and higher hardness (P < 0.05). Twelve HAAs were evaluated and eight HAAs were detected. The total HAA content was as high as 360.73 ng/g. In particular, the contents of Norharman and Harman were much higher than those of the other HAAs (P < 0.05). Additionally, the HAA contents were higher in the traditional sausages than those in the conventional sausages (P < 0.05). Principal component analysis showed that traditional and conventional sausages had a good separation based on the quality characteristics and total HAA level. The results of this study will provide useful information on the industrial production of smoked meat products.

Tissue and species identification in minced meat and meat products from Italian commercial markets by DNA microarray and histological approach.

Adequate testing and adulterant detection of food products are required to assure its safety and avoid fraudulent activities. Adulteration/substitution of costlier meat with a cheaper or inferior meat is one of the most common fraudulence in meat industry. Aim of this study was to check the correct labelling of meat and ready to cook bovine meat products, combining the DNA microarray approach to identify the animal species with the histological examination, to check the composition and safety of meat. One hundred and one samples of bovine minced meat (Group 1) and ready to cook meat products (Group 2) were collected from supermarkets in Turin, Italy. DNA microarray revealed that 25.7% of samples were positive for species not declared on the label, swine being the most common. Histology showed the presence of cartilage, bone and glandular tissue. A higher presence of bacteria and inflammatory cells was detected in Group 1. Bacterial cells associated to inflammatory cells were detected with a higher score in Group 2. Sarcocystis spp. were present in 83.3% samples of Group 1 and 49.1% of Group 2. This study confirmed that the mislabelling of meat products is not uncommon. The combination of DNA microarrays and histology can increase the monitoring capacity in bovine meat industry.

The Influence of Temperature Differences in Smoking Chamber and Furnace and Smoking Time on the Quality of Medium-Ground Sausages.

The aim of the work was to determine the impact of two variants (A and B) of smoking (differing in temperature values, furnace, top and bottom of the smoking chamber and the length of smoking time) in the sausage technological process carried out in a traditional smoking chamber with an indirect furnace. The research material consisted of medium-ground sausages: Country, Home and Bieszczady sausages. The research showed that, as the temperature in the smoking chamber and the smoking time changed, the following texture parameters decreased: cycle hardness 1 and 2, springiness, gumminess and chewiness. In addition, there were shown statistically significant differences (p < 0.05) in the chemical composition of Country sausage between the applied smoking variants. It was also found that the temperature of the furnace, upper and lower smoking chamber and the length of smoking time did not have a statistically significant influence on the share of red (a*) and yellow (b*) in the analysed sausages.

Beneficial effects of Jerusalem artichoke powder and olive oil as animal fat replacers and natural healthy compound sources in Harbin dry sausages.

This study aimed to improve the nutritional quality of Harbin dry sausages using natural plant-based Jerusalem artichoke powder (JAP) and olive oil as animal fat replacers. Low-fat Harbin dry sausages were manufactured with 2 different formulations containing JAP and olive oil as pork fat replacers. The texture, rheological properties, microstructure, water holding capacity, muscle protein structure, physicochemical indices, microbiological characteristics, and sensory evaluation of the sausages were analyzed. The result showed that Harbin dry sausages with JAP and olive oil were healthier than control sausages based on the lower fat content and improved fatty acid composition. Scanning electron microscopy showed gel network formation in sausages with a high JAP content. Low-field nuclear magnetic resonance illustrated that the water-holding capacity of the modified sausages was improved, suggesting that the replacers enhanced protein gel formation by changes in C-H stretching and bending vibrations, a reduction in α-helixes, and increases in ß-sheets and random coils accompanying the exposure of reactive groups and microenvironment of the tertiary structure. Dynamic rheological and texture tests indicated that the replacers improved the elasticity of sausages. The reduction of fat and addition of replacers significantly enhanced lipid oxidative resistance. Overall, JAP and olive oil improved the fatty acid composition, gel structure, lipid oxidative resistance, and sensory quality of the sausages. These results may contribute to the development of healthy meat products to further reduce animal fat.

Triplex real-time PCR assay for the authentication of camel-derived dairy and meat products.

Authentication of dairy and meat products is important to ensure fair competition, consumer benefit, and food safety. The large difference in price between camel and cow milk may be an incentive to adulterate camel dairy products with cow-derived foodstuffs. However, no studies so far have used triplex real-time PCR with an endogenous control to identify camel and cow origins in dairy and meat products. In this study, we developed a triplex real-time PCR assay based on amplification of mitochondrial 12S ribosomal DNA for the authentication of camel-derived dairy and meat products. This method was applied to identify camel and cow DNA in milk, yogurt, cheese, milk powder, milk beverage, meat products, and mixtures with milk and meat. Concentrations as low as 1 to 5% and 0.1% camel milk and meat, respectively, were detected in the mixtures, and 1 to 5% and 0.1% cow milk and meat, respectively, were identified via this approach. The limits of detection were 0.005 to 0.0025 ng, 0.05 to 0.001 ng, 0.001 to 0.0005 ng, and 0.00025 to 0.0001 ng of DNA in camel milk, camel yogurt, commercial camel milk beverage, and camel meat, and from 0.0025 to 0.001 ng, 0.5 to 0.001 ng, 1 to 0.05 ng, 0.01 ng, 0.001 ng, 0.0005 to 0.00025 ng, 0.0005 to 0.00025 ng, and 0.005 ng of DNA from cow milk, yogurt, cheese, acidic whey, milk powder, beef, beef jerky, and beef sausage, respectively. Different dairy and meat samples of camel and cow origins had a range of authentication limits and limits of detection. The designed triplex real-time PCR assay was shown to be a specific, sensitive, and efficient technique for the identification of camel and cow DNA in foodstuffs.

The Impact of the Food Labeling and Other Factors on Consumer Preferences Using Discrete Choice Modeling-The Example of Traditional Pork Sausage.

In our study, we examined whether product characteristics indicated by food labels matter in purchasing decisions for sausage made from traditional Hungarian mangalica pork; and how much consumers are willing to pay for them. On the other hand, we also tried to measure whether any changes in consumers' preferences occurred in recent years. Two product characteristics (label of origin and different mangalica meat content) and two other factors (place of purchase and price) are examined in a discrete choice experiment based on stated preference data. According to our expectations, government-funded consumer campaigns in recent years have had an impact on consumers purchase of this traditional product, and they pay more attention to food labels, which can also be influenced by sociodemographic characteristics. Our results have been compared to a previous choice-model based research, investigating consumers' attitude towards similar mangalica pork products. Three different types of models (multinomial logit, random parameter logit, and latent class) are employed, from which two types of models account for the heterogeneity in preferences. Based on the results, it can be concluded that the advertisements promoting traditional meat consumption had only a partial effect on consumer attitudes. Consumers clearly prefer the label of origin indicating meat from registered animals and purchasing on the farmers' market, but according to the indication of the different mangalica meat content in the product, we have already reached conflicting results. Three consumer segments were identified: "price sensitive, loyal to label, label neutral" based on latent class model estimates.