GRAIN SORGHUM WAX AS AN EDIBLE COATING FOR GELATIN-BASED CANDIES1

Gelatin-based candies were coated with medium chain triglyceride (MCT) oil or MCT oil combined with grain sorghum or carnauba wax (8.7% w/w of oil). Compared with uncoated samples, oil/sorghum wax and oil/carnauba wax coatings were equally effective in reducing protein solubility of candies in water (25C) and differences between initial and final diameters of candies subjected to melting. At 0, 5, and 10 days of storage (over calcium sulfate), the candies were evaluated by sensory panelists for surface reflection, pink color, clarity, chalkiness, firmness, adhesiveness, chewiness, cohesiveness, sweetness, sourness, fruit flavor, off-flavor, and aftertaste. Firmness, adhesiveness, chewiness, cohesiveness, and sourness scores increased (P<0.05) linearly with storage time. Samples treated with sorghum or carnauba wax were less shiny, more opaque, chalkier, and had more intense off-flavor and aftertaste than uncoated samples. Samples treated with the laboratory-extracted sorghum wax rated lower than carnauba wax-treated samples for surface reflection, clarity, chalkiness, off-flavor, and aftertaste.     

Glucose and Internal Cooking Temperature Effects on Low Fat, Pre- and Post-Rigor, Restructured Beef Roasts

Muscles were excised pre-rigor (hot-boned, HB) or post-rigor (conventionally boned, CB), chunked, and were subjected to four ingredient treatments: (SPE) 2% NaCl, 0.5% NaCl, 0.5% phosphate, 2% glucose (SP 2% NaCl, 0.5% phosphate (SG) 2% NaCl, 2% glucose and (PG) 0.5% phosphate, 2% glucose to produce low fat, restructured, beef roasts, which were cooked to an internal temperature of 63 or 93°C. Addition of glucose to a salt and phosphate (LEM-O-FOS¹) ingredient treatment as well as cooking to 93°C helped maintain low warmed-over flavor (WOF) scores and kept thiobarbituric acid values below threshold (< 1.0) while maintaining desirable consumer acceptability scores.     

Properties of Thorium Oxide Ceramics

Included in this report are data concerning the strength, density, and porosity that may be expected of thoria ceramics formed by dry-pressing and isostatic pressing and fired at 1400°, 1600°, and 1800°C. By dry-pressing and firing at 1400°C., a density of 60% of theoretical (10.05) was obtained; at 1800°C. the density was increased to 80% of theoretical. By isostatic pressing a density of 87% of theoretical was obtained at 1800°C. A study of the densification of thoria ceramics by small additions of other inorganic materials showed the very marked effect of CaO (or CaF₂) in proportions of 0.5 to 3%. In proportions of 0.5 to 1%, CaO additions produced densities of 97% of theoretical for ThO₂ when fired at 1800°C. Experimental results intended to explain this phenomenon tended to substantiate the theory that it is due to formation of holes by substitutional solid solution and migration of ions in the altered structure. Thoria ceramics in the form of 12-in. rods, 1.5 in. in diameter, and small (0.1-in.) pellets with CaO additions were made having densities up to 97% of theoretical; evaluation of the abrasion resistance and strength is given. Porous thoria ceramics with densities of only 50 to 60% of theoretical were produced by addition of volatile material. Tests of the solubility of thoria ceramics showed that water at 250°C. had no effect. Ready dissolution was obtained with nitric acid and hydrofluoric acid as a catalyst.     

Effects of Beef Carcass Electrical Stimulation, Hot Boning, and Aging on Unfrozen and Frozen Longissimus dorsi and Semimembranosus Steaks

Ninety-six sides from 48 beef carcasses were used to study the effects of hot boning (HB), electrical stimulation (ES), a combination of electrical stimulation and hot boning (ESHB), and steak storage treatments on longissimus dorsi and semimembranosus steaks. Steak storage treatments were: unfrozen (aged until 6 days postmortem) or frozen (ES, HB, and ESHB frozen 24 hr and controls 48 hr postmortem). ES did not improve taste panel ratings or consistently lower shear force values when compared with control counterparts. Storing carcasses at 5°C for the first 24 hr postmortem and freezing ES steaks at 24 hr versus 48 hr postmortem for the control possibly diluted the effectiveness of ES. However, ES did eliminate any toughening due to HB.     

Raw and Preheated Epimysium and Gelatin Affect Properties of Low-salt, Low-fat, Restructured Beef

Five or 10% raw (5CT, 10CT) and preheated (5PHCT, 10PHCT) connective tissue and 0.5 or 1.0% food-grade gelatin (0.5G and 1.0G) were evaluated in low-salt (0.2% NaCl), low-fat (<5.0%), restructured beef. Analyses of Instron texture, sensory texture and flavor, proximate composition, surface hydrophobicity (S_o), and collagen were performed. Differences (P<0.05) in Instron tensile strength were greatest between the control (515.53 g/cm²) and both 10CT (806.53 g/cm²) and 10PHCT (810.56 g/cm²). When compared to the control, 10CT resulted in higher cook yields, whereas 1.0G lowered cook yields. Additionally, 10CT and 10PHCT reduced (P<0.05) product initial cohesiveness and juiciness and tended (P<0.09) to reduce beefiness.     

Effects of Electrical Stimulation, Aging, and Blade Tenderization on Hot-Boned Beef Psoas major and Triceps brachii Muscles

Forty-six steer carcasses were used to evaluate shear force values (SFV) for triceps brachii (TB) and psoas major (PM) muscles from sides assigned to three treatments: (1) chilled at 2–4°C for 48 hr (C); (2) hot boned 2 hr postmortem (HB); and (3) electrically stimulated 1 hr postmortem and hot boned 2 hr postmortem (ESHB). Some steaks were cut and frozen immediately after muscle excision or after 6 days of aging, and some were blade tenderized. HB and ESHB steaks had equal or smaller SFV relative to C after aging the TB and PM muscles; however, this was not true when TB steaks were cut after muscle excision. Electrical stimulation or blade tenderization did not improve HB.     

Thermomechanical Mismatch in Ceramic-Fiber-Reinforced Glass-Ceramic Composites

The thermomechanical relationship between mullite and a lithium aluminosilicate (LAS) glass-ceramic has been studied by a technique of bimaterial dilatometry. The viscoelastic behavior of LAS was found to result in a temperature T rvsl below the glass-transformation temperature T_g at which the interfacial stresses between the materials undergo a reversal in sign. The effect of T rvsl on the high-temperature mechanical properties of mullite or SiC fiber-reinforced glass-ceramic composites is discussed. It is suggested that fiber clamping by the matrix at temperatures between T rvsl and T_g contributes to the brittle, high-temperature behavior of such composites.     

Computer-Assisted Identification of Bacteria on Hot-Boned and Conventionally Processed Beef

Mesophilic and psychotrophic bacteria (706 isolates) obtained from hot-boned and conventionally processed beef at the time of fabrication and after 14-day vacuum storage at 2°C were analyzed by computer-assisted numerical taxonomy (108 attributes per isolate). There was no significant difference in terms of the number of phenons between hot-boned and conventionally processed beef both at the time of fabrication and after storage. Before storage, 24 mesophilic phenons and 11 psychrotrophic phenons were characterized. After storage in vacuum bags, there were 13 mesophilic phenons and 6 psychrotrophic phenons. The after storage flora consisted mainly of Streptococcus and Lactobacillus from both hot-boned and conventionally processed beef.