Monika Modzelewska-Kapituła

The influence of carrageenan on the properties of low-fat frankfurters.

Research was undertaken to study the technological properties of six carrageenan fractions and their usefulness as fat substitutes in frankfurter type sausages. In the first stage of the experiment hardness of gels made of 3% solutions of carrageenan preparations with different pH (5.5, 6.0 and 6.5) was evaluated. The highest F(max.) values were noted in gels obtained from G-WG carrageenan (kappa I fraction). In the second stage of the study frankfurter type sausages were produced, containing 20% and 10% of fat in meat batter with or without (control) kappa I carrageenan (G-WG). Carrageenan as a fat substitute caused a reduction in cooking and storage weight losses, increased hardness, gumminess and chewiness. All frankfurters produced with carrageenan, irrespective of fat content, were characterized by significantly higher sensory evaluation scores for texture, color and taste in comparison to control sausages.

The effect of muscle, cooking method and final internal temperature on quality parameters of beef roast

The aim of the study was to evaluate the influence of cooking conditions (dry air and steam) and final internal temperature (75, 85, 95°C) on the physico-chemical properties of beef infraspinatus (INF) and semimembranosus (SEM) muscles as well as their tenderness and juiciness. Cooking method and temperature influenced moisture, total collagen content in cooked meat and cooking loss, whereas muscle type affected fat, total collagen content and cooking loss. Warner-Bratzler shear force values were affected by cooking method, which also influenced juiciness of roasts. Temperature affected tenderness and juiciness, whereas muscle type influenced juiciness. The most desirable tenderness had INF heated in steam and dry air to 95°C. Processing SEM in dry air to 85 and 95°C lowered the juiciness of the roasts. There were significant correlations between physico-chemical, sensorial and image attributes, however high accuracy of prediction (r(2)>0.8) was achieved only for SEM muscle.

The influence of diet on collagen content and quality attributes of infraspinatus muscle from Holstein–Friesian young bulls

The aim of the study was to determine effects of feeding intensity on collagen content and eating quality of infraspinatus (INF) muscle. Twenty Polish Holstein-Friesian bulls (11-month-old) were fed either intensively (I, n=10, with triticale meal addition to total mixed ration) or semi-intensively (SI, n=10, without triticale meal) before slaughter at 19months. The animals from I group showed higher body weight at the end of fattening, average daily gain and dressing percentage than SI group. The INF muscle from I treatment had higher fat content and the proportion of water-soluble collagen, whereas lower insoluble collagen content compared with SI treatment. There were no differences in shear force values, cooking loss and eating quality between the treatments. In conclusion, feeding Holstein-Friesian bulls with increased energy value fodder beneficially affected its slaughter value and collagen profile in infraspinatus muscle.

The influence of crossbreeding on collagen solubility and tenderness of Infraspinatus and Semimembranosus muscles of semi-intensively reared young bulls

The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of crossbreeding on collagen content and solubility, shear force (WBSF) and the eating quality of Infraspinatus (INF) and Semimembranosus (SM) muscles of young bulls and the relationships between collagen content and solubility, shear force and the eating quality of beef. The experimental material comprised muscles of crossbred young bulls (about 600 days old) of Polish Holstein-Friesian (PHF) × Limousine (LM) (n = 10), PHF × Charolaise (CH) (n = 9), PHF × Hereford (HER) (n = 9) breeds. The crossbreeding influenced WBSF, aroma and taste, total, water-soluble, acid-soluble, total soluble and insoluble collagen content, as well as the acid-soluble, total soluble and insoluble collagen proportions. WBSF was significantly negatively correlated with sensorial tenderness and water-soluble collagen content. The eating quality of beef obtained from different crossbreds was similar; however, the meat from PHF × LM and PHF × HER bulls had lower WBSF values than PHF × CH bulls.

Slaughter yield and fatty acid profiles of fillets of pike (Esox lucius L.) caught before and after spawning

Abstract The aim of the study was to determine the impact pike fishing season (before spawning in fall (group A) and after spawning in spring (group B)) had on the slaughter yield and fillet fatty acid profile. The slaughter yield of fillets with skin and skinned fillets from the group B fish was significantly lower (by approximately 7.5% of body weight). The fatty acid profile of the fish meat from the groups examined differed significantly. The fillets of pike caught before spawning were dominated by unsaturated fatty acids (UFA), while those from fish caught after spawning had mainly saturated fatty acids (SFA). The share of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) in the fillets of fish that had spawned was sixfold lower, and the n-3 PUFA differences were nearly ninefold. The content of eicosapentaenoic (EPA) and docosahexaenoic (DHA) fatty acids in fillets of fish that had spawned was ninefold lower than in those that had not yet done so. Consequently, the ratio of n-3 PUFA/n-6 PUFA in pike from group A was over three times higher than that in the fish that had spawned (2.61 vs 0.82). Fillets from pike that have spawned are a significantly poorer source of valuable fatty acids for consumers.

Carcass characteristics and meat quality of bulls and steers slaughtered at two different ages

Abstract This study was conducted to evaluate animal performance, carcase characteristics and meat quality of young bulls and steers (Charolais × Holstein-Friesian), fattened until 15 and 18 months of age. One half of 40 young bulls were castrated at 2 or 3 weeks of age. Starting at 7 months of age, they received grass silage supplemented with concentrates. At the end of the fattening period, the animals were slaughtered, and carcase quality and the quality of meat from Musculus longissimus thoracis (MLT) were evaluated. Bulls had a higher carcase dressing percentage, and their carcases had higher lean meat content than steers. MLT from steers had higher intramuscular fat (IMF) content (by 0.89%); it was less tough, more tender and palatable. IMF from bulls had higher concentrations of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) and a higher n-6/n-3 PUFA ratio than IMF extracted from steer meat. Older animals had higher carcase quality than those slaughtered at 15 months of age, and slaughtering at a later age had no negative influence on meat quality.

Linear correlation between pH value of stimulated beef and electrical current intensity

ABSTRACT The aim of the present study was to determine mathematical relationships between pH changes in beef 24 h post-slaughter and changes in the intensity of electrical current flowing through bull and heifer carcasses during high-voltage electrical stimulation. The electrical stimulation was applied 40 min postmortem for 120 s. The pH values of m. longissimus thoracis et lumborum were analyzed in the function of electrical current intensity changes and its change during electrical stimulation. Mathematical linear correlations of the y = ax ± b type were demonstrated between pH values at 2, 6, and 24 h postmortem and the initial (Ii) and ultimate (Iu) electrical current intensity values, the difference between them and the initial pH values determined before electrical stimulation. High multiple correlation coefficients (R2 = 0.416, α ≤ 0.001) between Iu and pH values 24 h post-slaughter enabled concluding that there is a possibility to predict a pH value of stimulated carcass with high accuracy, and thus also beef quality, based merely on the ultimate electrical current intensity values.

Effects of rearing system and feeding intensity on the fattening performance and slaughter value of young crossbred bulls

Abstract The aim of this study was to determine the effects of rearing system and feeding intensity on the fattening performance and slaughter value of 38 young crossbred bull calves. The calves were raised naturally with nurse cows (NC) or were fed milk replacer (MF) until 150 days of age. During the rearing period the NC calves were healthier and had higher average daily gain (by 0.15 kg) compared to the MF calves. After a 30-day transition period, the animals were fattened in intensive (I) and semi-intensive (SI) systems from 181 to 560 days of age. During the fattening period, the bulls were fed ad libitum a total mixed ration (TMR) composed of grass silage and concentrate. The concentrate to silage ratio, on a DM basis, was 25:75 (SI) and 40:60 (I). The MF calves had lower BW at the end of the fattening period compared to the NC calves but the rearing system had no effects on daily gain during the fattening period. Compensatory growth was not observed during fattening. During the fattening period, a higher proportion of concentrate in the ration contributed to higher feed intake, higher feed efficiency and more desirable carcass characteristics. Three-rib cuts from the carcasses of the I bulls had significantly (P<0.05) higher fat content and lower bone content compared to the carcasses of the SI bulls. The longissimus thoracis muscle of the I bulls had higher (P<0.01) intramuscular fat content compared to the SI bulls.

Estimation of the intramuscular fat content of m. longissimus thoracis in crossbred beef cattle based on live animal measurements

The objective of this study was to determine the usefulness of live animal measurements in estimating the intramuscular fat (IMF) content of m. longissimus thoracis (MLT) in beef cattle. Live animal measurements were performed in young crossbred bulls (96) and steers (59), the offspring of Holstein-Friesian (HF) cows and beef bulls (Limousin, Hereford and Charolais), at the end of the fattening period. The content of intramuscular fat was determined in samples from MLT by chemical analyses. A prediction model was developed by stepwise regression. In the validation model, the values of R2=0.74, RMSE=0.37% were determined. The results indicate that selected biometric (chest width, chest girth) ultrasound measurements (thickness of subcutaneous rump and back fat) and selected blood parameters (triglycerides) can be used to predict IMF content with satisfactory precision and accuracy. The analyzed parameters could constitute a valuable tool in the process of selecting beef quality traits and determining the slaughter value of young beef cattle.

Assessment of Fatty Acid Composition and Technological Properties of Northern Pike (Esox lucius) Fillets: The Effects of Fish Origin and Sex

ABSTRACT The aim of the study was to investigate the effects of northern pike origin (wild vs. farmed) and sex (female vs. male) on chemical composition, including fatty acids, and technological properties of fresh fillets. Fish origin influenced moisture, protein, fat, and ash contents, pH and color of the fillets, and the proportion of 22 out of 25 determined fatty acids, whereas sex affected expressible water, pH, lightness and redness of fillets, and only a single fatty acid (C20:0) proportion. Farmed pike had higher protein and fat content and lower moisture and ash than wild pike. Higher proportion and content of total polyunsaturated and n-3 fatty acids, as well as lower n-6/n-3 ratio, were found in farmed pike. Thus, it can be concluded that the commercial feed positively affected fatty acid proportion and content in the fish tissue and increased its nutritional value.