Objective measurement of veal color for classification purposes

2300 veal calves were used to compare the ability of chromameters to measure the veal meat color on-line and to develop a relationship between instrumental and visual assessments to predict the color score according to the EC-system of classification. The meat color was assessed subjectively by 3 trained judges and objectively by 2 chromameters CR300 and CR310, 45 min post mortem on the Rectus abdominis, on the external side, skin having been removed. R(2) values reached 0.70 for the CR300 and 0.75 for the CR310. The equations of prediction classified correctly up to 87% of carcasses. These data indicate that chromameters (Minolta CR310 and CR300) can be used on-line to measure objectively veal meat color at the end of the slaughterline.     

Evaluation of pork colour sensory colour assessment using trained and untrained sensory panellists

M. longissimus dorsi and M. psoas major minced pork patties from three dietary treatment groups of DLY (Duroc/Landrace/Yorkshire) cross bred pigs were packaged in polythene bags and placed in a retail refrigerated display cabinet at 5±1?°C, under fluorescent light (1000 lux) for up to 5 days. Each dietary treatment group consisted of pigs (n=7) fed either a low vitamin E diet (80 mg dl-α-tocopheryl acetate/kg of feed), supplemental iron [7 g iron (II) sulphate/kg feed] or supplemental vitamin E (200mg dl-α-tocopheryl acetate/kg of feed)+supplemental iron. Samples were subjected to visual colour evaluation by a trained sensory panel (n=8) and an untrained panel (n=8) on days 0, 1, 3 and 5 of display. The signal to noise (S/N) ratios for assessors and replicates for the trained assessor group were higher than those of the untrained assessor group indicating greater reliability in the trained assessor results. The trained assessor group produced relatively normal percentile distributions for sensory terms in the assessment of both M. longissimus dorsi and M. psoas major muscles. The untrained assessor group displayed more skewed or non-symmetric distributions for M. longissimus dorsi, but produced a normal distribution for M. psoas major. Quantitative and qualitative analysis of the sensory profiling by both the trained and untrained groups of test subjects showed that in general sensory training contributed to a more effective visual sensory evaluation of M. longissimus dorsi in terms of metmyoglobin development. However, this is not the case for M. psoas major where both groups of assessors produced comparable results. Use of uniploar scaling did not improve the discriminative ability of assessors, both trained and untrained, in assessment of blue and yellow. The untrained group of assessors were even less effective in the use of these scales. It appeared that the sensory visual assessment of meat products can be performed effectively without training when the product colour is familiar to the assessors. However, training of panellists becomes relevant when a more unfamiliar product of unfamiliar colour is to be assessed and the unintuitive aspect of discrimination may play a greater role in the objective sensory colour assessment of meat.     

Effect of dietary iron on the colour and pigment concentration of veal

The colour and pigment concentration of muscles from veal calves whose dietary iron intake was 10, 40 and 100 μg/g milk powder were measured. The colour was related to pigment content which was related to the dietary iron concentration and anatomical location of the muscle. The myoglobin content of veal from calves receiving 100 μg Fe/g was twice that of veal from calves receiving 40 μg Fe/g but there was no difference in myoglobin content between 10 and 40 μg Fe/g. Calves receiving 10 μg Fe/g contained less haemoglobin in their blood. The lightness of cooked veal was found to be linear with the lightness of the raw, with little change in saturation but a large change in hue.     

国内外犊牛肉分级体系分析

介绍了美国、欧盟和加拿大的犊牛分级体系,并对建立我国的犊牛肉分级标准提出了自己的设想.犊牛分级体系对于提高国内奶公牛犊资源利用率,实现犊牛肉的规模化生产和解决目前国内犊牛肉质量不一致等方面具有重要意义.     

Evaluation of bioanalytical assays for toxicity assessment and mode of toxic action classification of reactive chemicals

The toxicity of electrqphiles, including reactive organochlorines, epoxides, and compounds with an activated double bond was investigated. A set of different bioanalytical assays based on genetically modified Escherichia coli strains was set up to quantify cytotoxicity and specific reactivity toward the important biological nucleophiles DNA and glutathione (GSH). The significance of GSH for detoxification was assessed by cellular GSH depletion as well as by growth inhibition of a GSH-deficient strain. Tests for DNA damage comprised the measurement of induction of DNA repair systems, DNA fragmentation, and growth inhibition of a strain deficient in major DNA repair mechanisms. The most suitable assays for detection of mechanisms that underlie the observable cytotoxicity of the tested electrophiles were two sets of strains either lacking GSH or DNA repair in combination with their corresponding parent strains. Comparison of toxicity observed in those strains suggests three clearly distinguishable modes of toxic action for electrophilic chemicals: "DNA damage", "GSH depletion-related toxicity", and "unspecific reactivity". The class of chemicals causing DNA damage includes the epoxides 1,2-epoxybutane, (2,3-epoxypropyl)benzene, and styrene oxide. The class of chemicals with GSH depletion-related toxicity includes compounds with an activated double bond, like acrylates and acrolein. All reactive organochlorines and some epoxides were classified as unspecifically reactive because their toxicity is initiated by reactions with both biological nucleophiles. The work presented here is a contribution for an alternative hazard and effect assessment of organic pollutants based on mode of toxic action classification.     

Measuring changes in internal meat colour, colour lightness and colour opacity as predictors of cooking time

Consumers and cooks often assess the degree of doneness of roasted beef by the internal meat colour. Real-time colour measurement of the cooking process is therefore developed in order to determine the degree of doneness, and thus the end of the cooking process, by the internal meat colour. The colour values (X, Y, Z) provided by the true colour sensor show significant variation within initial values and end values. Change in colour lightness caused by the increase of meat colour opacity is dominant. Calculating the first deviation of the Y values (dY/dt) indicates that most rapid changes in lightness are within a temperature range of 42 °C and 56 °C. At this temperature, the degree of meat doneness is still assumed to be rare, but it is possible to predict the time needed from this point until the desired degree of doneness is reached.     

The significance of diet, slaughter weight and aging time on pork colour and colour stability

The objective of the present study was to investigate the effect of a diet with a low content of digestible starch, slaughter weight and subsequent aging time on meat colour and colour stability. Pork colour was determined as the extent of blooming of M. longissimus thoracis (LT) and M. semimembranosus (SM) after 1, 2, 4, 8 and 15 days postmortem and as colour stability during a subsequent storage period in air for 6 days. Compared to the control diet, the experimental diet resulted in a significantly lower postmortem muscle temperature (1°C; p<0.0001). Moreover, high slaughter weight (110kg) resulted in a higher postmortem temperature in LT (p<0.001) compared to low weight (85kg). Independent of feeding strategy and slaughter weight, the extent of blooming decreased during the first 2-4 days of aging in LT, however, the effect was more pronounced in meat from experimentally fed pigs and pigs with high slaughter weight. This effect was not seen in SM, where a gradual increase in blooming took place throughout the aging period. The colour stability was found to be superior in aged pork from experimentally fed pigs. The discoloration rate was faster in SM compared to LT. In conclusion, the present study shows that the diet composition can be used as a tool to control meat colour and colour stability in pork.     

Consumer assessment of the effect of electrical stimulation on the colour and colour stability of Semimembranosus muscles

The influence of effective low voltage electrical stimulation on the colour stability of beef topside (semimembranosus) muscles, during storage and retail display was studied using objective measurements and subjective assessments. Earlier results obtained from objective measurements demonstrated that during a three day retail display period, stimulated topsides had a greater loss of colour than non-stimulated topsides, and primal cuts aged for 33 days at 0 °C before display suffered faster changes to colour during retail presentation than cuts aged for 5 days. To relate results obtained using objective methods to consumer perceptions of meat quality, consumer perceptions of samples of meat displayed for 3 days in the retail cabinets of a major local supermarket were recorded. A total of 960 consumers were asked to evaluate topside steaks for meat and fat colour, meat discolouration and acceptability. During 3 days of retail display, consumers did not perceive differences in the extent of discolouration of topside steaks from electrically stimulated and non-stimulated carcasses; for the majority of the treatment groups (high or low pH muscles, 5 or 33 day ageing, 1-3 day retail display) there were no significant differences, for any of the scored attributes, between stimulated and non-stimulated samples. However, for samples in the fresh (5 days ageing), high pH (5.8-6.0) treatments group, lean meat colour and acceptability for the stimulated samples were, on some of the days on display, given significantly (P < 0.05) better ratings by the consumers than those from corresponding non-stimulated samples.     

Development of a colour scale for colour evaluation of beef carcasses at 60 min post mortem

The pectoralis profundus muscles of 200 selected beef carcasses were measured to develop a standard colour scale for evaluating beef carcasses at the time of classification (approximately 60 min post mortem). Five lightness (L*) values were chosen ranging from 22 to 42 with intervals of five L* units. Corresponding a* and b* values were calculated. Based on regressions between the actual reflection spectra and the L*, a* and b* values, spectra of the five chosen colours for the colour scale were predicted. The L*, a* and b* values accurately predicted the reflection spectra. A paint company imitated the five reflection spectra. Spectra could not be matched exactly, without metamerism occuring. Therefore, the colour scale should be used with specific light sources. The scale is recommended in The Netherlands to classify the colour of beef, as a supplement of SEUROP‐system for conformation and fatness. © 1999 Society of Chemical Industry     

Evaluation of performance measurement instruments on their use for food quality systems

Due to regular challenges of food safety, consumers put high demands on the performance of food quality systems. To deal with these requirements, food manufacturers need effective quality management. Performance of food quality systems can be partly realized by quality assurance systems, such as HACCP (hazard analysis and critical control point), ISO (international organization for standardization), and BRC (british retail consortium). However, it is still unknown to what extent these systems factually contribute to the realization of quality in the wider sense. Therefore, an instrument is needed that measures the effectiveness of quality systems. This article describes the evaluation of instruments on their suitability for the development of a diagnostic instrument that measures the effectiveness of food quality systems. For this evaluation, perspectives of quality, typical characteristics of agrifood production, quantification, and performance measurement of quality management were studied. Instruments that measure the performance of both quality management and production quality were identified and evaluated on the basis of the defined criteria. The criteria for the performance of production quality were 6 quality dimensions, i.e., product quality, availability, costs,flexibility, reliability, and service. The criteria for performance of quality management were analyses of the relationships between quality management, context of the organization, and production quality, a normative procedure, validation, applicability, classification, and a process approach. Finally, for the final instrument, the evaluation resulted in an integrated approach i.e., a technomanagerial approach, and 3 suitable instruments i.e., Wageningen Management Approach, Extended Quality Triangle, and the quality concept of Noori and Radford.     

Influence of storage time on parameters of colour stability of beef

Direct measurements of the oxygen partial pressure profiles at the surface of the longissimus dorsi muscle of six bulls were obtained by means of a solid-state-probe after 1 min and 5 h exposure to air at 5°C. Changes in muscle colour were examined at the same time. The results show the profiles of oxygen partial pressure at the muscle surface after differing storage times (1, 3, 5, 7, 11 and 13 days at 5°C). Up to 5 days post mortem, increases in oxygen partial pressure with lengthening storage periods also led to higher percentages of oxymyoglobin, following exposure to air 1 min to 5 h. Further storage for up to 13 days decreased oxygenation, despite higher oxygen partial pressures. There was no evidence of rapid autoxidation to metmyoglobin during a 5-h period of exposure to air. Obvious connections between oxygenation and measurements of a-value were not found. The Lab-values increased dependent on the length of storage time.     

A general method for the instrumental assessment of the colour of tomato fruit during ripening

The colour of subjectively-chosen tomato fruit of three contrasting cultivars at each of five stages of ripeness were measured on a tri-stimulus colour difference meter. The values were introduced into a formula previously developed for calculating objective limits for each ripening stage, but satisfactory separations were not achieved. When the colour components for areas on the side-walls of tomatoes were introduced into a revised formula, good discrimination was achieved between classes of fruit from fairly ripe to fully ripe. Similar measurements carried out on areas near the stylar scar and used with an alternative formula led to efficient separation of less ripe fruit into distinct classes. It is suggested that the revised formula can be applied to any cultivated tomato line except colour mutants.     

Skin colour assessment in safety testing of cosmetics. An overview

Synopsis
Few subjects are as problematical to dermatologists, cosmetologists and related experimenters involved in safety testing as the clinical assessment of skin colour. At the core of the problem is the word erythema, which does not communicate a sense for the nuance of red. In addition, light shades of red are not visible in dark-skinned people. Human assays aiming at evaluating the irritancy and allergic potential of cosmetics take advantage to use instrumental assessments of skin colour. However, there are pitfalls related to the complex biological aspects of the cutaneous reactivity, to the design of the in vivo assay, and to technical aspects bound to the principle of the measuring methods. Sound information can only be reached when these concerns are solved.
Résumé
Peu de sujets sont aussi problématiques pour les dermatologues, cosmétologues et autres expérimentateurs impliqués dans les tests de sûreté que l'évaluation clinique des couleurs cutanées. Au centre du problème est le mot érythème qui ne communique pas la notion des nuances de rouge. De plus, un érythème discret peut ne pas être visible chez des individus à la peau foncée. Les tests humains visant àévaluer les potentialités d'irritation et d'allergie aux cosmétiques bénéficient des évaluations instrumentales de la couleur cutanée. Cependant, il existe des pièges liés aux aspects biologiques complexes de la réactivité cutanée, au choix du test in vivo et à des aspects techniques en relation avec le principe du système de mesure. Une information adéquate ne peut être obtenue qu'après avoir résolu ces problèmes.     

Characteristics of veal calves upon arrival, at 28 and 84 days, and at end of the production cycle

Holstein bull calves arriving at five special-fed veal farms (eight production groups) were scored for various physical condition traits and blood-sampled within 2 h after arrival and at 28 d, 84 d, and 1 wk prior to slaughter at 116 to 143 d. Of 1179 total calves in the production groups, 758 calves were scored and evaluated. Blood cell analyses (red and white blood cell counts, hemoglobin, and packed cell volume) were conducted at all four sampling times; total serum protein concentration was obtained at 0 and 28 d. The study was initiated in autumn and ended the following autumn. Mean initial and final body weights were 46.3+/-0.17 and 209.7+/-0.77 kg; mean mortality was 2.5%. Average daily gain of the eight groups ranged from 1.23 to 1.70 kg/d. Subjective scores of 5 = excellent to 1 = very poor condition were used to evaluate 16 different physical condition characteristics. With the exception of leg joint, hoof, and foot scores, most of the physical condition scores exhibited improvement during the first 28 d. Foot and leg impairments did not appear to hinder the ambulatory ability of the calves during the production period. Physical condition scores at d 0 and 28 were generally not related to numbers or types of medical treatments (enteric, respiratory, other, or total) or to average daily gain during the production period. Means for most erythrocytic and leukocytic traits upon arrival (d 0) were within normal ranges, although 27.4% of the calves were clinically or marginally anemic. Final mean hemoglobin and packed cell volume were 8.53 g/dl and 26.1%. Forty-three percent of the calves at d 0 were colostral deficient, assuming that total serum protein concentrations of <5.5 g/dl indicate colostral deficiency. No blood trait was consistently correlated with body weight gain when gain during the production period was divided into quartiles and the blood traits were averaged by gain quartile. Calves in the lowest serum total protein quartile (mean 4.58 g/dl) had more respiratory and total medical treatments than quartiles with higher total protein means. Dairy bull calves arriving at veal production units after transporting from the dairy farm to the auction market (or other collection facility) have several physical impairments. However, most of these physical impairments are improved early in the veal feeding period and are not generally related to subsequent growth rate or medical treatment.     

Prevalence of gastrointestinal disorders recorded at postmortem inspection in white veal calves and associated risk factors

The study aimed at assessing the prevalence of poor rumen development, presence of rumen plaques, rumen papillae hyperkeratinization, and abomasal lesions in veal calves and to investigate risk factors for their occurrence at the farm level. Within a wide cross-sectional study, a sample of 170 veal farms representative of the European veal meat production systems was considered in the 3 major producing countries (99 in the Netherlands, 47 in France, and 24 in Italy). An average of 59 ± 10 (SD) rumens and abomasa belonging to calves from a single batch per farm were inspected at the abattoir by trained observers to assess the incidence of these gastrointestinal disorders. Potential risk factors for their occurrence related to farm management, housing, and to the feeding plan were obtained by a questionnaire submitted to the stockperson. Prevalence of poor rumen development (almost no papillae present), rumen plaques, and hyperkeratinization were 60.4, 31.4, and 6.1% of rumens, respectively, whereas abomasal lesions in the pyloric area were recorded in 74.1% of abomasa. Independent variables related to the feeding system confirmed to be the main risk factors for the occurrence of gastrointestinal disorders in veal calves. However, additional risk sources for each given problem were identified among housing and management variables. The provision of a low amount of solid feed (≤50 kg of dry matter/head per cycle) was a relevant risk for rumen underdevelopment. Rumen wall alterations (plaques and hyperkeratinization) and abomasal lesions were instead associated with the administration of large quantities of solids (151-300 kg of dry matter/head per cycle) in calves receiving milk replacer during the entire fattening cycle. Among the types of solid feed, cereal grain acted as a preventive measure for low rumen development, whereas it was a risk factor for the occurrence of rumen plaques, papillae hyperkeratinization, and abomasal lesions. Some housing and management options adopted to improve veal calf welfare (i.e., higher space allowance and use of heating) were associated with lower risk for gastrointestinal disorders.     

A new region-primitive method for classification of colour meat image texture based on size, orientation, and contrast

A new structural method was developed to characterise texture of colour meat images. Structural primitives or region-primitives were constructed using a region-growing method with a global and automatically calculated threshold. A total of eight textural features under the consideration of size, orientation, and contrast, which are the primary factors of human perception of texture pattern, were obtained from the region-primitives. An experiment was set up to classify the texture pattern of a set of 60 cooked meat colour images consisting of 20 beef images, 20 lamb images, and 20 pork images using texture features obtained from the proposed region-primitive method and run-length matrix method, respectively. The proposed region-primitive method (error rate: 18.3%) was found to perform better than the run-length matrix method (error rate: 35.0%). Results also indicated that the texture features obtained by the proposed method carried adequate texture information for classification and that the proposed region-primitive method could be potentially used for the characterisation of irregular textural pattern in cooked meat images, which was inapproachable by conventional structural texture analysis techniques.     

Evaluation of colour properties and chemical quality parameters of cactus juices

The chemical composition and visual appearance of cactus fruits from the genera Opuntia and Hylocereus were investigated. Colour properties were assessed in solutions with pH ranging from 1 to 8 and expressed as chroma, hue and colour shade. Between pH 3 and 7, all samples were stable as indicated by hue and chroma values. The colour shade of the red juice of Opuntia ficus-indica cv. 'Rossa' was in the range of red beet preparations hitherto most commonly used for colouring low-acid food commodities. Hylocereus was characterized by purplish hues, whereas the juice from O. ficus-indica cv. 'Gialla' displayed a yellow tonality. An improved spectrophotometric method for pigment quantification was proposed. Betacyanin contents were 525.3, 73.9 and 1.3 mg/l in juices from Hylocereus polyrhizus, Opuntia ficus-indica cv. 'Rossa' and O. ficus-indica cv. 'Gialla', whereas betaxanthins amounted to 48.3, 36.4 and 5.3 mg/l in O. ficus-indica cv. 'Gialla', O. ficus-indica cv. 'Rossa', and H. polyrhizus, respectively. Although the colourless fruits from O. ficus-indica cv. 'Bianca' and H. undatus could not be considered as a colour source, selected quality parameters were also investigated with respect to their nutritional value. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report about the chemical quality parameters of H. polyrhizus and H. undatus.     

Short communication: Validation of methods for practically evaluating failed passive transfer of immunity in calves arriving at a veal facility

Providing a sufficient quantity of high-quality colostrum to male and female calves soon after birth is critical to reduce the risk of disease and mortality. Practical tests have not been validated to determine failed passive transfer of immunity upon arrival at veal facilities. There are many challenges to validation, including the lack of information on the age of the calf and the high prevalence of dehydration. The objective of this study was to validate a semiquantitative IgG antibody test using whole blood and a digital refractometer using serum to determine passive transfer of immunity status. A total of 149 Holstein calves were evaluated upon arrival at a milk-fed veal facility for dehydration status and had blood drawn to evaluate passive transfer of immunity. Serum IgG determined by radial immunodiffusion was used as the gold standard for the validation of the tests, and a cut-off point of <1,000 mg/dL of IgG was used to indicate failed passive transfer of immunity. Serum total protein (STP) was evaluated using a digital refractometer (Misco Palm Abbe no. PA202x, Misco, Solon, OH), and a semiquantitative test (ZAPvet Bovine IgG test, NOWDiagnostics, Toronto, Ontario, Canada) was used on whole blood. A nonparametric receiver operating characteristic curve was generated to compare STP and IgG levels. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive values, and negative predictive values were calculated for STP and the semiquantitative IgG test. A total of 31 calves (21%) had serum IgG <1,000 mg/dL. Twelve percent of calves were showing signs of clinical dehydration when assessed upon arrival. The serum total protein (STP) was very well correlated with the concentration of IgG (R² = 0.75). The STP cut point to determine passive transfer was ≥5.1 g/dL, yielding a sensitivity of 84% and a specificity of 90%. The semiquantitative antibody test on whole blood performed poorly, with a sensitivity of 77% and a specificity of 44%. This study demonstrates that serum total protein is a reliable measure for evaluating passive transfer of immunity and can be used despite a high prevalence of dehydration.