Bożena Waszkiewicz-Robak

Profiles and concentrations of heterocyclic aromatic amines formed in beef during various heat treatments depend on the time of ripening and muscle type.

Heterocyclic Aromatic Amine (HAA) profiles and concentrations depended on several factors. The largest changes in the HAA profile were observed in meat ripened (chill stored) for 5-10 days. Amines whos concentration varied most prominently included: Phe-P 1, harmane, AαC, IQ, IQx, PhIP, MeAαC, and MeIQx. HAA concentrations were strongly correlated with concentrations of the above compounds. Time of storage significantly affected the HAA profile and concentration. The profile changed dynamically for storage times up to 10 days. For longer times the profile stabilized, only the HAA content increased. A novel, highly precise and accurate HAA analytical method was developed for this study. Results may help to optimize meat processing technology from the point of view of reducing concentration of HAA formed during heat treatment, including the most carcinogenic; IQ, IQx, MeIQx and PhIP amines.

Influence of selected quality factors of beef on the profile and the quantity of heterocyclic aromatic amines during processing at high temperature.

New factors were identified impacting significantly on the formation of HAA during grilling. The number and profile of HAA in grilled beef depend on the fattening system (intensive and semi-intensive), and the effect of the animals sex. The fewest HAAs were formed in rib steak from heifers from a semi-intensive fattening system. A significant effect of storage of meat in refrigerated conditions (5 to 15 days) was also demonstrated on the formation of HAA during grilling. The longer the raw meat was stored, the more HAA was formed during grilling. The quantity of HAA was strongly correlated with the content of free amino acids and a very strong correlation was found with an increasing content of free purine and pyrimidine bases and their nucleosides.

Application of the SPE reversed phase HPLC/MS technique to determine vitamin B12 bio-active forms in beef.

Vitamin B12 is an animal origin nutrient of a substantial importance in human diet. Its concentration in foodstuffs is low and its chemical forms are diverse, which significantly hampers its precise determination. The determination method of choice is HPLC (high performance liquid chromatography) coupled with inductively-coupled-plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The main disadvantage of this method is high instrumentation cost and complexity of handling. The aim of this work was to develop a novel approach for determination of vitamin B12 bio-active forms in beef and beef liver. The proposed method comprises the following steps: (i) vitamin B12 is cleaved off from peptides using thermal denaturation in a weakly acidic environment; (ii) sample is cleaned-up using liquid-liquid extraction and reversed phase solid phase extraction; and finally (iii) vitamin B12 is determined using HPLC and single-quadrupole mass spectrometer with ESI source. Vitamin B12 concentrations in various beef meats were in the 2.84-3.95 μg 100g(-1) range. Average B12 concentration in beef liver was 153,60 μg 100g(-1) (n = 15). Major forms of B12 present in beef meat include adenosine cobalamin (AdoCbl) and in smaller quantities hydroxycobalamin (OHCbl). Major forms of vitamin B12 present in beef liver include OHCbl (48.2%), AdoCbl (33.8%), methylocobalamin (MeCbl, 16.3%), and cyanocobalamin (CNCbl, 1.7%). Thermal treatment noticeably decreases B12 the content in meat. Depending on conditions of treatment, B12 concentrations in the 1.04-2.20 μg 100g(-1) range were found in processed meats.

Vitamin B12 content in raw and cooked beef

The aim of this work was to evaluate the vitamin B12 content and profile of cobalamin bioactive forms in raw and cooked beef. The study showed that vitamin B12 distribution is unequal among beef muscles. The content of this nutrient ranges from 0.7 to 1.5 μg/100 g of tissue. In beef, three biologically active forms of vitamin B12 were determined, i.e.: methylcobalamin, adenosylcobalamin and hydroxycobalamin; the dominating form of vitamin B12 was adenosylcobalamin (68% of total cobalamins). The process of roasting and grilling had little effect on the vitamin B12 content in the final product as compared to the raw meat. The fried product was characterised by about a 32% lower content of cobalamins than in raw meat.

Consumer facial expression in relation to smoked ham with the use of face reading technology. The methodological aspects and informative value of research results.

The study determined the emotional reactions of consumers in relation to hams using face visualization method, which was recorded by FaceReader (FR). The aims of the research were to determine the effect of the ham samples on the type of emotion, to examine more deeply the individual emotional reactions of consumers and to analyse the emotional variability with regard to the temporal measurement of impressions. The research involved testing the effectiveness of measuring emotions in response to the ongoing flavour impression after consumption of smoked hams. It was found that for all of the assessed samples, neutral and negative emotions prevailed as the overall emotions recorded during the assessment of the taste/flavour impression. The range of variability of the overall emotions depended more on the consumer reactions and less on the properties of the assessed product. Consumers expressed various emotions in time and the ham samples evoked different emotional reactions as an effect of duration of the impression.

The profile of volatile compounds in the outer and inner parts of broiled pork neck is strongly influenced by the acetic-acid marination conditions

Raw pork neck cutlets were marinated in an aqueous solution of acetic acid (pH4, 24h, 4°C) without (M) or with 1% (w/w) of glucose. The control (K) was formed by non-treated raw pork neck. The cutlets were then broiled (185°C, 30min). In all K cutlets, significant higher amounts of volatile compounds (VCs) were developed after broiling than the other samples. Significant more aldehydes and alcohols were present in the inner parts than in the surface. The correlation between surface and internal layers was high only for aldehydes. Marinating decreased the differences among VCs and led to the standardization of the processed meat. The addition of glucose to the marinade led to more volatile aldehydes, carboxylic acids, esters, furan, pyran, pyrazine, pyrrol and pyridine derivatives than in M samples. Several (53) specific VCs explained the differences among the surface samples related to the marinating process. However, only 16 VCs explained the variance among the inner parts.

Influence of pre- and post-slaughter factors on the reduced glutathione content of beef muscles

The aim of this experiment was to assess the effect of certain factors (muscle anatomy, paternal breed, diet, age at slaughter, castration, process of meat aging and grilling) on the content of reduced glutathione (GSH) in beef. The research material included selected beef muscles acquired from steers and bulls obtained by crossing Polish Holstein-Friesian cows with meat breed bulls (Limousin, Charolais, Hereford). An analysis of ante-mortem factors such as the castration, slaughter age, and fattening of the animals showed no significant effect on the content of GSH (α=0,05). On the other hand, the paternal breed of animals was observed to have a significant effect on GSH content. In the study, GSH content significantly increased during meat aging. In contrast, grilling caused a loss approximately 40% of GSH content. Based on the study, it can be concluded that the distribution of GSH in anatomical beef muscles is uneven.

Fish intake and risk of prostate cancer

The aim of the study was to present the current state of knowledge concerning the relationship between the consumption of fish as materials rich in long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC PUFA) omega-3, and the risk of prostate cancer. Many scientific reports confirm the health benefits from the consumption of fish and protective properties of LC PUFA omega-3 in relation to prostate cancer. However, there are reports that indicate a relationship of the high consumption of PUFA with the risk of prostate cancer. The way of processing and preservation of the fish, and other factors not included in previous studies, could have some importance in the etiology of this disease. High susceptibility of PUFA to oxidation changes and the technological fish processing (smoking, high-temperature cooking methods) contribute to the formation of many compounds, such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and heterocyclic amines - which may influence the formation of cancers - including prostate cancer. It is necessary to ensure an adequate amount of LC PUFA omega-3 in the diet through the consumption of proper quality fish and fish oils. Particular attention should be paid to the high susceptibility of PUFA to the oxidative processes, and the method of processing, preservation and storage of fish. Also pollution from the environment can significantly reduce the impact of health benefits of PUFA and fish, and even be the cause of cancers, including prostate cancer. Further research in this area should be more targeted to assess the impact of nutritional factors for the development of such tumors.

Nutraceuticals in animal nutrition and their effect on selected quality characteristics of beef. A review article

The article discusses the importance of nutraceuticals in animal nutrition, which, on the one hand, influence their well being, and, on the other, shape the quality characteristics of beef and its taste. Nutraceuticals are very important in animal nutrition, especially when they are added to feed of pasture fattened cattle or when the cattle receives feed enriched in ingredients that modify the carcases fatty acids profile, and, consequently, the quality beef. The most effective source of nutraceuticals with anti oxidant properties are, among others: rosemary, sage, oregano and thyme. It has been established that the use of plant extracts in animal nutrition is more effective than the use of traditional herbs, due to the fact that the extracts contain much lower concentration of volatile flavour and fragrant substances than dry or fresh plants, which is reflected in the quality of beef.

Chinese Food Products Registered as Protected in the European Union

Chinese food products registered in the EU as protected have been described in the article: asparagus, peaches, garlic, citrus fruit (pomelo), apples, yams, crayfish, vinegar, green tea and dry starch product (pasta). The published application was used to characterize every product. The origin (natural environment) of production of each product was considered: kind of soil, climate, characterization of water and kind of fertilization. Conditions of natural environment significantly influence the quality features of all the registered products and decide on their traceability.