The occurrence of volatile N-nitrosamines in Estonian meat products

N-Nitrosamines (NAs) are a group of carcinogens, which have been detected in various meat products. The level of five NAs, namely N-nitrosodimethylamine, N-nitrosodiethylamine, N-nitrosodibutylamine, N-nitrosopiperidine, and N-nitrosopyrrolidine was determined in 386 various samples of meat during 2001–2005. Raw, fried, grilled, smoked, pickled, and canned meat products were analyzed. For a sample cleaning the two-step solid-phase extraction with Extrelut and Florisil sorbents was used. NAs were separated by gas chromatography and detected by positive-ion chemical ionization using ammonia as reagent gas. The HP 6890 Plus GC/HP 5973 MSD was used in the selected ion-monitoring mode with pulsed splitless injection. In this work, the limit of detection and the limit of quantitation of NA were approximately 0.09 and 0.29 μg/kg, respectively, with about 85% recovery. NDMA was noted in above 88% of samples, NDEA in 27%, NPYR in 90%, NPIP in 65%, and NDBA in 33% at the mean levels of 0.85, 0.36, 4.14, 0.98, and 0.37 μg/kg, respectively. The level of total volatile NAs with the mean of 3.97 μg/kg was calculated.     

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in meat products and estimated PAH intake by children and the general population in Estonia

The concentrations of benzo[a]pyrene and 11 other polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were analysed from 322 commercial, cured meat products and 14 home-grilled meat samples as part of the Estonian food safety monitoring programme during 2001-2005. The maximum acceptable concentration of 5 µg kg^-1 for benzo[a]pyrene was exceeded in 3.4% of samples. The highest PAH concentrations were detected in home-grilled pork samples. Using of disposable grilling unit resulted in 1.6 times higher PAH concentrations compared to the traditional wood-burning grill. The average intake of benzo[a]pyrene and sum of 12 PAHs from meat products was estimated for children (age 1-16 years) on the basis of an individual food consumption questionnaire and, for the general population, based on national food consumption data. The highest total PAH concentrations detected were 16 µg kg^-1 in smoked meat and ham, 19 µg kg^-1 in smoked sausage and 6.5 µg kg^-1 in smoked chicken samples. Since smoking and grilling are prevalent meat-cooking methods in Estonia, the impact of meat products is assessed to be significant in overall PAH intake.     

Chemical and microbiological characterization of alheira: A typical Portuguese fermented sausage with particular reference to factors relating to food safety

Alheiras are traditional smoked naturally fermented meat sausages produced in the north of Portugal. They have not previously been characterized as to their chemical and microbiological status. pH and salt levels are insufficient to assure microbiological safety, there is ample opportunity for post-cooking contamination; the products require chill storage and cooking before consumption.

Heavy metals and biogenic amines were, in general, within accepted limits for meat products. Lactic acid bacteria comprised the major microflora (ca. 7–8 log cfu/g) with substantial counts of micrococci and enterococci (up to 7 log cfu/g). Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Listeria spp. were detected in several samples.     

Effects of the inclusion of sodium bicarbonate and sugar beet pulp in the concentrate for fattening lambs on acid-base status and meat characteristics

Thirty-six young Merino lambs (15.3 kg live weight) were allocated into four equal groups to study the effects of the inclusion of sodium bicarbonate (‘Bic’, 0 vs. 2%) and sugar beet pulp (‘SBP’, 0 vs. 12%) in the concentrate on meat characteristics. Lambs were fed barley straw and concentrate ad libitum. When they reached 25 kg a blood sample was taken and the animal slaughtered. After 24 h meat characteristics (pH, colour, water holding capacity, Warner–Bratzler shear force, chemical and fatty acid – ‘FA’ – composition) were measured on M. longissimus thoracis et lumborum. SBP replacing 24% of the barley in the concentrate caused an increase in shear force (P < 0.05) and saturated FA (P < 0.05), decreasing meat unsaturated FA (P < 0.05). SB increased blood base excess (P < 0.05) and meat yellowness (P < 0.05) and decreased meat pH (P < 0.05), without altering any other meat characteristics.     

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in smoked fish – a critical review

Among hundreds of components, wood smoke also contains at least 100 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and their alkylated derivatives. Many of them are carcinogenic. Benzo[α]pyrene (BaP) is regarded as a marker of the carcinogenic PAH in smoke and smoked fish, although in olive residual oil the maximum level of 2 μg/kg for each of the eight most carcinogenic PAHs, including BaP, has been set. Contemporary analytical procedures based on extraction of the hydrocarbons from the matrix, clean-up procedure, separation by gas chromatography (GC) or high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), followed by detection and quantification by mass spectrometry (MS) or fluorescence detectors (FLD), respectively, make it possible to determine individual PAH in smoked foods at concentrations of the order of 0.1 μg/kg or even 0.01 μg/kg. Heavily smoked fish from traditional kilns, especially their outer parts, may contain up to about 50 μg BaP/kg wet weight, while the meat of mild hot-smoked fish, from smokehouses supplied with conditioned wood smoke from external generators, contains only about 0.1 μg/kg, or even less. Some older data on the contents of BaP in smoked fish should be treated with caution, if the analytical procedures used did not guarantee unequivocal separation and identification of the individual PAH.     

Survey of mycoflora counts, aflatoxin production and induced biochemical changes in walnut kernels

Fungal infection and mycotoxin contamination in fresh and stored kernels of walnut (Juglans regia) collected from different localities of Uttaranchal (India) were investigated. Fresh samples carry a combination of field as well as storage fungi. Species of Alternaria, Aspergillus and Penicillium were predominant. Thirty-nine percent of Aspergillus flavus isolates were toxigenic and produced up to 2170 μg/l of aflatoxin B₁ in the liquid media. Aflatoxin B₁ was the most common mycotoxin encountered as a natural contaminant in the stored samples. Twenty-one percent of fresh samples contained aflatoxin B₁ in low concentrations. The concentration of aflatoxin B₁ in fresh as well as stored samples was in the range of 140–1220 μg/kg. Characteristic rotting was observed in fresh as well as stored samples. The walnut kernels exhibited significant reductions in the levels of oil, starch and protein content during fungal infection.     

Sensory properties of hot-deboned ostrich (Struthio camelus var. domesticus) Muscularis gastrocnemius, pars interna

Cold-deboning is currently practiced in South African ostrich abattoirs. However, the advantages of hot-deboning include the reduction of costs and time, but there is always the risk of cold-shortening. The effects of hot-deboning of ostrich M. gastrocnemius, pars interna on meat sensory attributes were investigated. The data showed that the hot-deboned muscles’ pH₄₈ (6.57 ± 0.18) was significantly negatively correlated (r = −0.7813; P < 0.038) to the mean Warner–Bratzler shear force values (71.28 ± 18.62 N, 12.7 mm⁻¹ diameter) and positively correlated (r = 0.789; P < 0.035) to the mean scores for taste panel tenderness (66.39 ± 15.45). After storage for 48 h post-mortem, the hot-deboned muscles were found to be less juicy (P < 0.004) and, according to both sensory tenderness scores and Warner–Bratzler shear force values, tougher (P < 0.0001) than the cold-deboned muscles.     

Live weight and sex effects on carcass and meat quality of "Borrego terrincho-PDO" suckling lambs

Fifty seven suckling lambs (28 males and 29 females) of the Churra da Terra Quente breed were used to evaluate the effects of live weight and sex on carcass composition and meat quality traits. Lambs were slaughtered at three weight classes (<8 kg, 8–11 kg and >11 kg) according to “Borrego Terrincho–PDO” specifications. The left sides of the carcasses were totally dissected. The longissimus thoracis and lumborum muscle was used for meat quality determination. Dressing proportion and carcass fatness were not affected by weight class or sex. Muscle proportion was similar in all carcass joints for the three weight classes. The percentage of bone decreased at the higher weight class, while that of subcutaneous and intermuscular fat increased. Female lambs had higher muscle proportions and greater muscle/bone ratios in the carcass side than males. Muscle pH, colour, cooking losses and tenderness were not affected by gender and weight class. Female lambs and weight classes 8–11 kg and >11 kg had higher proportions of intramuscular fat.     

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in different types of smoked meat products from Serbia

The contents of the16 EU priority PAHs in six different meat products from Serbia (beef ham, pork ham, bacon without skin, bacon with skin, cajna sausage and sremska sausage) were examined during the process of smoking. All these meat products from meat industry Zlatiborac, Mačkat, Serbia presented in this study, have not previously been analysed concerning to their contents of PAH compounds. Determination and quantification of PAHs in meat products were performed by a Fast GC/HRMS method. The maximum level for benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) of 5 μg/kg in smoked meat products was not exceeded in any samples. BaP comprises in general 4.6% of the total sum of the 16 EU priority PAHs and 15.2% of the total sum of the 12 IARC PAH compounds. The suitability of BaP as a marker both for 16 EU priority PAHs and 12 IARC probably and possibly carcinogenic PAHs was checked by applying correlation analysis.     

A GC/MS method for the determination of carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) in smoked meat products and liquid smokes

A GC/MS method for the determination of ten polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) with four to six condensed aromatic carbon rings (including the six carcinogenic PAH) in smoked meat products and liquid smokes has been developed. The method implies accelerated solvent extraction (ASE), gel permeation chromatography for efficient lipid removal without saponification and ¹³C-labelled PAH for quantification. The calibration curves showed a good linearity for all PAH in the concentration range 0.01–10,000 ppb, the repeatabilities (RSDs, n=6) of different PAH ranged from 3 to 12%. Using this method, the analysis of a standard reference material of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (mussel tissue, SRM 2977) resulted in a good accordance between measured and certified PAH concentrations. The determination of PAH contents in 26 samples of smoked meat products and liquid smokes further confirmed the analytical power of the new method and gave a first insight into the specific PAH patterns.