Meat as a component of a healthy diet – are there any risks or benefits if meat is avoided in the diet?

Meat is frequently associated with a "negative" health image due to its "high" fat content and in the case of red meat is seen as a cancer-promoting food. Therefore, a low meat intake, especially red meat is recommended to avoid the risk of cancer, obesity and metabolic syndrome. However, this discussion overlooks the fact, that meat is an important source for some of micronutrients such as iron, selenium, vitamins A, B12 and folic acid. These micronutrients are either not present in plant derived food or have poor bioavailability. In addition, meat as a protein rich and carbohydrate "low" product contributes to a low glycemic index which is assumed to be "beneficial" with respect to overweight, the development of diabetes and cancer (insulin resistance hypothesis). Taken together meat is an important nutrient for human health and development. As an essential part of a mixed diet, meat ensures adequate delivery of essential micronutrients and amino acids and is involved in regulatory processes of energy metabolism.     

Physicochemical characterization of corn–sorghum nixtamalized flours as a function of the steeping time

This work focused on the study of the physicochemical properties of nixtamalized corn and sorghum flours, as well as combined nixtamalized corn–sorghum flours with 10, 20, and 30 % of sorghum. The removal of the sorghum pericarp during nixtamalization depends on the steeping time and strongly influences the water and calcium uptake. The absence of the waxy layer in sorghum grain allows a faster water uptake in relation to corn grain. Changes in the pericarp structure during the steeping time govern the Ca absorption in sorghum grain. The partial removal of the pericarp and the most external layers of the endosperm produce the decrease in phosphorous content for corn and sorghum. The Ca/P ratio of nixtamalized corn/sorghum flours is greater than 1 for steeping time up to 3 h. Therefore, this fact could help the increase of Ca in the daily diet. Amylopectin is the predominant macromolecule in both starches. The pasting profiles showed a decrease in peak viscosity when the sorghum fraction increases; this is due to increases in fiber.     

Is authentication of regional and traditional food made of meat possible?

Authentication of regional and traditional food made of meat poses a significant challenge. It continues to be a very difficult task which requires employment of quite advanced analytical techniques. These products, despite a similar process of manufacturing, differ in taste and aroma. This happens due to the use of special breeds of animals, the application of appropriate feeding regimes as well as the effect of the place and climate. In order to perform correct identification of geographical origin, a good solution is to determine both stable isotopes as well as trace elements. It is essential to collect detailed meteorological and geochemical data and information about farming practices and to compare them with the obtained results. In a majority of cases, the performed identification is confined to species and the determination of the animal breed is very limited. In the case of individual breeds a comparative analysis of SNPs appears to present the highest potential, especially genes affecting the coat color of animals may serve as markers. Experiments confirm that genes responsible for pigmentation underwent mutations in individual breeds. Authentication on the basis of the manufacturing process appears to be easier to realize than tracing geographical origins.     

How is the instrumental color of meat measured?

Peer-reviewed journal articles (n=1068) were used to gather instrumental color measurement information in meat science research. The majority of articles, published in 10 peer-reviewed journals, originated from European countries (44.8%) and North America (38.5%). The predominant species was pork (44.2%), and most researchers used Minolta (60.0%) over Hunter (31.6%) colorimeters. Much of the research was done using illuminant D65 (32.3%); nevertheless, almost half (48.9%) of the articles did not report the illuminant. Moreover, a majority of the articles did not report aperture size (73.6%) or the number of readings per sample (52.4%). Many factors influence meat color, and a considerable proportion of the peer-reviewed, published research articles failed to include information necessary to replicate and/or interpret instrumental color results; therefore, a standardized set of minimum reportable parameters for meat color evaluation should be identified.     

Strawberry quality as a function of the ‘high pressure fast cooling’ design

Oso Grande strawberries were picked, wrapped with polyvinyl chloride film, and finally cooled by ‘high pressure fast cooling’ units with slight differences in design in terms of number of fans functioning and ventilation spacer widths. The effect on strawberry quality of these cooling cells was evaluated compared to room-cooled fruits, and when compared to quality parameter values at fruit gathering. Quality evaluations by means of determination of main sugars and organic acids, colour, firmness, total soluble solids, titrable acidity and pH assessments were carried out at different commercial stages, immediately after cooling, after 3 days at 2 °C simulating refrigerated transport, and after 4 days at 17 °C storage (shelf-life). Reducing (by half) the ventilation spacer (V cell), resulted in a 20% higher air speed and a 20% faster cooling than control units (N cell), while units using half of the fans (F cell) showed a lower air speed (45%) and a 30% more time to cool down the product. These modifications also affected strawberry quality. Fruits from the fastest cooler cell, V cell, showed a different quality pattern compared to fruits from N and F cells, with a higher sucrose inversion and less glucose and fructose contents. V cell-cooled strawberries presented a lower content of citric, malic and ascorbic acids during shelf-life. However, fruits cooled by the V cell showed the highest marketable fruit percentage, although with a decrease in red colour compared to fruit at gathering, and fruit cooled by the N or F cells. In these cells, fruit colour remained practically unchanged along the different commercial stages including the long shelf-life period.     

Is beer a source of prebiotics?

Beer contains low‐molecular‐weight β‐linked oligosaccharides that originate from the degradation of β‐glucan in the barley cell wall during malting and mashing. Over 90% of these oligosaccharides contain three or four glucosyl units. They remain intact through a static oral, gastric and small intestinal in vitro human digestive system model, indicating that they should be available to beneficial organisms known to be present in the human large intestine. Several intestine‐associated Lactobacillus strains were shown to be capable of growth on these β‐linked oligosaccharides, thereby leading us to tentatively propose that these compounds may represent prebiotics. Copyright © 2017 The Institute of Brewing & Distilling     

Is the anti-stress effect of vitamin C related to adrenal gland function in rat?

The aim of this study was to investigate whether vitamin C influences the stress response system of the adrenal gland. Adrenalectomized (ADX) rats and non-ADX rats were administered vitamin C and were subjected to electroshock stress (ES) for 5 days. After loading the final stress, stress-related behaviors and corticosterone (CORT), vitamin C, and adrenocorticotropin-releasing hormone (ACTH) levels in the blood were measured. Vitamin C supplementation decreased CORT levels in non-ADX rats. Stress decreased the mean value of rearing frequency in both non-ADX and ADX rats, while vitamin C partially enhanced it only in non-ADX. Vitamin C supplementation decreased mean ACTH level in both groups. It also significantly decreased freezing time increased by stress. Lastly, vitamin C motivated both groups to cross over an electric field more frequently as compared to their respective control groups. These results suggest that the alleviating effect of vitamin C on stress-related rearing behavior was exerted via modulation of CORT, but its effect on freezing behavior may be attributed to corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) or ACTH.     

High pressure processing of fresh meat — Is it worth it?

When subjected to high pressures at ambient temperatures, the shelf life of fresh meat is increased; however the meat takes on a cooked appearance as the actomyosin denatures at about 200 MPa and the myoglobin denatures and/or co-precipitates with other proteins at about 400 MPa. In addition, at pressures of 400 MPa and above the unsaturated lipids in the meat become more susceptible to oxidation, probably due to the release of iron from complexes present in meat (haemosiderin and ferritin?) and/or changes in the lipid membrane. Thus, even if legislation allowed it, it is unlikely that many consumers would be prepared to buy such meat. However if pre-rigor meat is subjected to pressures of about 100–150 MPa, below those necessary to cause colour changes, it becomes significantly more tender than its untreated counterpart and this may now be a commercially viable process, given the decreasing cost of high pressure rigs. When treated at 100–200 MPa while the temperature is raised from ambient to around 60 °C post-rigor meat also yields a tender product and this may also be a commercially attractive process to parts of the food industry, for example those involved in catering.     

1H-NMR Spectroscopy as an Alternative Tool for the Detection of ��-ray Irradiated Meat

The effect of γ-ray irradiation on the fatty acid profile of chicken meat was examined at doses of 0.5, 2.5, 5.0, 7.5, 10.0, and 15.0 kGy by ¹H-NMR spectroscopy. NMR spectral results revealed a dose-dependent effect of irradiation on the fatty acid profile. A trend toward an increase in the amount of saturated fatty acids and a decrease in the amount of polyunsaturated fatty acids in the triacylglycerol composition of the irradiated meat samples compared with the non-irradiated one was established with increasing the irradiation dose. The trend of decreasing polyunsaturated fatty acyl groups was associated with a decrease in oxidative stability of meat fat after application of γ-ray irradiation.     

Food of the Future? Consumer Responses to the Idea of 3D-Printed Meat and Insect-Based Foods

3D printing technologies are beginning to be employed to fabricate new food products. One of the more unusual and potentially controversial adoptions of this novel food technology involves the use of laboratory-cultured meat or insect-based ingredients to support ethical consumption, food security, and environmental sustainability initiatives. In this article, we discuss findings from our study involving an online discussion group with Australian participants concerning their attitudes to a novel technology that combined new food processing and presentation devices (the 3D printer) with a range of ingredients. The participants recognized the potential benefits of insect- and cultured-meat-based printed food for society. However, their own priorities for food consumption choices centered more on the qualities of health, taste, and naturalness. We found that overall, few participants articulated interest in or support for consuming or serving 3D-printed food products made from cultured meat or insects. Most expressed their disquiet about the degree of processing cultured meat undergoes. It was considered to be “unnatural,” and therefore not fresh, potentially harmful, lacking taste or not nutritious. Most of the participants also expressed antipathy towards the idea of eating printed products containing insects. While such products were considered more “natural” and nutritious than cultured meat, the idea of eating insects was predominantly greeted with disgust. As these findings suggest, plans to use 3D printing technologies to render ingredients such as cultured meat and insects more acceptable and appealing to consumers in countries like Australia have major cultural barriers to overcome.     

Study on the interaction between gliadins and a coumarin as molecular model system of the gliadins–anthocyanidins complexes

To clarify the conformational changes of gliadins (Glia) upon complexation with anthocyanidins (in particular cyanidin, Cya), the interaction of Glia with a coumarin derivative (3-ethoxycarbonylcoumarin, 3-EcC), having a benzocondensed structure similar to that of Cya, has been investigated by NMR, IR, and Raman spectroscopy under acidic and neutral conditions. Raman spectra showed that both molecules produce a similar effect on the Glia structure, i.e. an increase in the α-helix conformation and a decrease in β-sheet and β-turns content. In the presence of both molecules, this effect is more marked; the spectroscopic results showed that both Cya and 3-EcC interact with Glia and 3-EcC favors the complex formation with Glia. The results obtained in this study provide new insights into anthocyanidins–Glia interactions and may have relevance to human health, in the field of the attempts to modify gluten proteins to decrease allergen immunoreactivity.     

SmartStretch™ technology. II. Improving the tenderness of leg meat from sheep using a meat stretching device

This study evaluated the effect of stretching hot-boned sheep hindlegs from 40 sheep carcases, classified as mutton, using a prototype device (SmartStretch™). Left and right legs were collected pre-rigor and randomly allocated to one of four treatments; 0 days ageing + SmartStretch™, 0 days ageing + no stretch, 5 days ageing + SmartStretch™ and 5 days ageing + no stretch. There was a significant interaction between stretch treatment and ageing (P < 0.05) for shear force of the m. biceps femoris such that stretched and aged samples were the most tender. By contrast stretched m. semimembranosus (SM) had a significantly (P < 0.05) lower shear force only at 0 days of ageing. Stretching produced longer sarcomeres (P < 0.001) for both the SM and m. semitendinosus muscles. Myofibrillar degradation indicated by particle size analysis or histology was not affected by stretching, but there was an ageing effect (P < 0.001). SmartStretch™ provided significant improvements in tenderness of the individual muscles.     

Meat molecular traceability: How to choose the best set of microsatellites?

To set up routine assays for molecular meat traceability along the food chain, the availability of a simple and low cost test for the identification of cattle carcasses is required. For this purpose, we evaluated 13 microsatellites for their ability in the identification of animals belonging to four Italian cattle breeds. Here we propose a criterion for a microsatellite-based test with the best reliability when reducing the number of loci to be analysed. The method is based on the observation that in the same loci breeds can show differences in frequencies and number of fixed alleles. This non-uniform distribution of alleles between breeds results in differences in the informative content of the same loci in different breeds. Taking into account these differences, it is possible to perform tests for the allocation of samples to specific animals utilizing a small number of microsatellites. The proposed approach allows cost reduction and ease in performing the analyses.     

Viscoelastic behavior of an agar—gelatin mixture gel as a function of its composition

The stress relaxation behavior of an agar—gelatin mixture gel was analyzed as a function of the stress relaxation behaviors of the component agar and gelatin gels. A six-element model composed of three components of the Maxwell mechanical model was applicable for each stress relaxation behavior. Except for the behavior of the shortest relaxation time, the three elastic moduli of the mixture gel, including the instantaneous elastic modulus, became predictable from the corresponding moduli of the agar and the gelatin gels, taking into account the concentration dependence and using a parallel-series combination model for the elasticity. The viscosities of the mixture gel were also predictable from the corresponding viscosities of the component agar and gelatin gels, except for the behavior of the shortest relaxation time.     

Goat milk allergenicity as a function of αs₁-casein genetic polymorphism

Cow milk allergy is the most frequent allergy in the first years of life. Milk from other mammalian species has been suggested as a possible nutritional alternative to cow milk, but in several cases, the clinical studies showed a high risk of cross-reactivity with cow milk. In the goat species, α_S1-casein (α_S1-CN), coded by the CSN1S1 gene, is characterized by extensive qualitative and quantitative polymorphisms. Some alleles are associated with null (i.e., CSN1S1*0₁) or reduced (i.e., CSN1S1*F) expression of the specific protein. The aim of this work was to obtain new information on goat milk and to evaluate its suitability for allergic subjects, depending on the genetic variation at α_s1-CN. Individual milk samples from 25 goats with different CSN1S1 genotypes were analyzed by sodium dodecyl sulfate PAGE and immunoblotting, using monoclonal antibodies specific for bovine α-CN and sera from children allergic to cow milk. A lower reaction was observed to 2 goat milk samples characterized by the CSN1S1* 0₁0₁ and 0₁F genotypes. Moreover, a fresh food skin prick test, carried out on 6 allergic children, showed the lack of positive reaction to the 0₁0₁ milk sample and only one weak reactivity to the 0₁F sample. The risk of cross-reactivity between cow and goat milk proteins suggests the need for caution before using goat milk for infant formulas. However, we hypothesize that it can be used successfully in the preparation of modified formulas for selected groups of allergic patients. The importance of taking the individual goat CN genetic variation into account in further experimental studies is evident from the results of the present work.