A Method to Determine Hardness and Work of Grinding Wheat

The Brabender Farinograph with a burr mill accessory was modified to measure the work in joules to grind 25–55g of wheat and to provide a digital readout of the data. Temperature (18–20°C), protein content (10.5–15.9%), kernel size, and growth location had little effect on the results, but the work required to grind wheat increased with increasing moisture content (7–13%). The average work was 530 joules (standard deviation 3.3) for 60 samples of a soft white winter wheat and 880 joules (standard deviation 5.3) for 60 samples of a very hard red winter wheat. The method may be suitable for distinguishing between hard and soft wheats.     

Measurement and Content of Nonheme and Total Iron in Muscle

A method for determining the nonheme iron content of meats was evaluated and used to determine the nonheme and heme iron content of selected muscles from beef, pork, and lamb. The method allows a quantitative determination of nonheme iron in meat and is influenced to only a minor degree by the presence of heme iron. Heating meat in a boiling water bath increased the nonheme iron content of the meat. Possibly, heating accelerates oxidative cleavage of the prophyrin ring thereby allowing release of the iron from the heme complex. Total iron content differed between muscles in pork and beef but not in lamb. Heme iron, expressed as percent of the total iron, in raw pork, lamb, and beef average 49, 57, and 62%, respectively.     

Chemical, Textural and Sensory Characteristics of Precooked, Restructured Lamb Shoulder Roasts as Influenced by Grinding Method, Salt Level and Vacuum Massage Time

The influence of level of grind (kidney plate only vs kidney plate plus coarse grinding 25% of raw meat weight), salt level (0.5 vs 1.0%) and vacuum massage time (1.0 vs 1.5 hr) on the chemical, textural and sensory characteristics of precooked, restructured lamb shoulder roasts were studied. Grinding method of kidney plate only decreased the fat content of the cooked product, while the higher salt level (SL) resulted in roasts with higher moisture and lower protein. Calories were reduced by 5% when 1.0% SL roasts were vacuum-massaged for 1.5 vs 1.0 hr. Increasing level of grind and SL decreased cooking losses and increased objective chewiness. Flavor differences were detected by sensory analysis due to the addition of coarse ground trimmings to lean ground through a kidney plate only.     

Storage and Lipid Quality of Chunked, Formed Roasts Containing Mechanically Separated Lamb

Restructured chunked and formed roasts containing 10 or 30% mechanically separated lamb (MSL) were made with meat from ram or wether lambs. Roasts were either frozen immediately after formulation and stored at -30°C before cooking to 71°C, or precooked immediately to 63°C, chilled and reheated to 71°C before storage at 4 and -30°C. Storage periods varied depending upon treatment. Roasts with 10% MSL contained less total fat and less free fatty acids (FFA) than those with 30% MSL. There was little evidence of extensive lipid oxidation as measured by thiobarbituric acid values and peroxide oxygen values in any of the roasts. There was an indication that pre-cooking and curing prior to storage increased glycerolipid hydrolysis because of increased levels of FFA. Apparently increased hydrolysis occurred in triglycerides since levels of phospholipids did not change.     

Effect of Subprimal Fabrication and Packaging Methods on Palatability and Retail Caselife of Loin Steaks from Lean Beef

Eighty subprimals were fabricated from 20 pairs of beef strip loins from lean (fat thickness, 0.2-0.4 cm) US Standard and US Good carcasses. Three vacuum packaged (VP) and one dry aged treatments were randomly assigned to short loin sections of each carcass. Steaks from VP intact and VP not-reassembled subprimals were rated highest in overall appearance and eating quality. Dry aging reduced retail caselife, produced greater shrinkage and trim losses and lower overall satisfaction ratings by panelists. Precutting subprimals into steaks followed by VP aging tends to decrease retail caselife (especially if steaks are reassembled) and decrease juiciness and tenderness.     

SYNTHETIC RED BLOOD CELLS FROM LIPID ENCAPSULATED HEMOGLOBIN

Synthetic red blood cells have been formed by microencapsulating hemoglobin solutions in lipid mixtures. The synthetic cells are stable, being somewhat stronger than normal red blood cells, can be tailored to have the same electrophoretic mobilities, and are somewhat smaller than normal red cells. They exhibit essentially the same oxygen and carbon dioxide carrying characteristics as normal red cells and do not appear to interact with natural blood in-vivo. In experiments involving complete replacement of natural blood in test animals, life has been sustained and no side effects have been observed.     

Effect of Sodium Lactate on Microbial and Chemical Composition of Cooked Beef during Storage

Cooked, vacuum packaged beef top rounds injected with 0, 1, 2, 3 or 4% sodium lactate were stored up to 84 days at 0°C. Aerobic plate counts (APC), water activity, pH and lactic acid content were determined at 14-day intervals. Microbial distributions were characterized following 0.56 and 84 days storage. Increasing sodium lactate resulted in reduction in APC. Water activity was not affected by sodium lactate level. Decreases in pH were minimized at sodium lactate >3%. Initially, the microflora of roasts consisted primarily of Micrococcus and coagulase-negative Staphylococcus spp. After 84 days the microflora consisted primarily of hetero- and homofermentative Lactobacillus spp. No differences in APC, lactic acid content, pH or water activity occurred between top rounds with 3 and 4% sodium lactate. Cooked, refrigerated roast beef injected with up to 3 or 4% sodium lactate had microbial shelf-life up to 84 days.     

QUALITATIVE CORRELATION OF THE MOUSE NEUROTOXIN AND ENZYME-LINKED IMMUNOASSAY FOR DETERMINING CLOSTRIDIUM BOTULINUM TYPES A AND B TOXINS1

The efficacy of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for botulinal toxin using polyclonal antibodies was evaluated in relation to the standard mouse assay. Qualitative tests for toxin in a meat system inoculated with Clostridium botulinum and pure cultures of various aerobic and anaerobic bacteria showed that both the mouse neurotoxin and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays detected toxin in the samples. However the ratios of mouse:ELISA activity of culture supernatant toxins of C. botulinum showed wide disparity among strains of types A and B. Trypsin treatment resulted in a slight loss of ELISA activity but the mouse response increased.