Storage Changes of Fresh and Pasteurized Blue Crab Meat in Different Types of Packaging

We investigated pasteurization and storage of blue crabmeat in steel cans, aluminum cans, plastic cans, nonbarrier pouches, and barrier pouches. Fresh meat was packed in copolymer polyethylene/polypro-pylene cups, Saran® over-wrapped or vacuum skin packaged polystyrene trays, and nonbarrier pouches. Meat pasteurized in plastic and aluminum cans had better sensory and microbiological quality and longer shelf life than meat packed in steel cans. Oxygen-barrier pouches had the lowest quality and shortest shelf life. Nonbarrier pouches had product with quality similar to meat in steel cans, but with an extended shelf life. No packaging materials improved the microbiological shelf life of freshly cooked meat. Vacuum skin packaging resulted in improved sensory qualities of freshly cooked and picked meat.     

CAD and Video Somatograpby: A liaison for creating ergonomic work systems†

CAD systems and other planning instruments are used more and more in designing manual and partly automated work systems. Ergonomic aspects are often not taken into consideration because of a lack of usable ergonomic design instruments. On the other side, a planning system for the dimensional designing of movement facilities was developed and used with success in West Germany—the Video Somatography. In connecting the two different systems, a new integrated ergonomic system was created. Thereby workplaces can be planned and designed using ergonomic and technical criteria in an optimal way. Further advantages are expected by integrating ergonomic knowledge into the system. With this, it will be possible for the workplanner to get information about ergonomic and economic conditions (workload, strength, assembly duration, etc.)     

INHIBITION OF PINK COLOR DEVELOPMENT IN COOKED, UNCURED GROUND TURKEY BY THE ADDITION OF CITRIC ACID

Citric acid (CIT, 0.3%) was assessed for its ability to reduce the pink color defect in ground, cooked (80C) turkey breast associated with nicotinamide hemochrome (NICHEME) and nitrosyl hemochrome (NITHEME). CIT incorporation in nicotinamide-treated (NIC, 1.0%) samples (CIT plus NIC) reduced (P<0.05) redness by 51% compared to the control and 63% compared to the NIC-only treatment. CIT addition in sodium nitrite-treated (NIT, 10 ppm) samples (CIT plus NIT) was similar (P>0.05) in redness to the control and reduced (P<0.05) the redness by 43% compared to the NIT- only treatment. All treatments containing citric acid lowered the pH and increased (P<0.05) cooking loss compared to samples without citric acid. At the level tested, addition of citric acid would provide poultry processors a means to eliminate or significantly reduce the pink defect. However, the use of citric acid may require the addition of nonacid     

TENDERNESS OF PRERIGOR STRETCHED PORCINE LONGISSIMUS MUSCLE

Bone and connective tissues at the 14th thoracic vertebra of one randomly selected side of each of six pork carcasses were cut 90 min postmortem by the Tendercut^TMprocedure, while companion sides served as controls. Carcasses were suspended from the hock tendon and chilled for 24 h. The Longissimus muscle (LM) was removed between the 9th thoracic and 4th lumbar vertebra and divided into three equal sections (locations 1, 2, 3; anterior to posterior) to determine the effect of Tendercut on Warner-Bratzler and Lee-Kramer peak force, sarcomere length, fat and moisture content. Tendercut resulted in lower (P < 0.05) Warner-Bratzler peak force, Lee-Kramer peak force and total energy in all locations within the LM. The average decrease was 14.2% for Warner-Bratzler peak, force and 14.5% and 16.2% for Lee-Kramer peak force and total energy, respectively. The Tendercut treatment also resulted in longer (P < 0.05) sarcomere lengths in all locations within the LM, with an average increase of 19%.     

SELECTED SKELETAL ALTERATIONS TO IMPROVE TENDERNESS OF BEEF ROUND MUSCLES

Bone (shaft ofischium, 4th/5th sacral vertebrae) and connective tissues at the round/loin junction of one randomly selected side of each of five beef carcasses (no roll, typical of US Select, 322±24 kg) were cut 45 min postmortem (Tender-cut^TM), while companion sides served as the controls. Carcasses were suspended conventionally and chilled for 24 h. Vastus lateralis (VL), Rectus femoris (RF), and Vastus medialis (VM) muscles were removed to determine the effect of this treatment on sarcomere length, shear force, fragmentation index, collagen solubility, thawing loss, and cooking loss. The Tendercut^TMtreatment resulted in longer (P < 0.05) sarcomere lengths and lower shear force for all three muscles. The fragmentation index was numerically lower for the Tendercut^TMsamples, although the reduction was not significant (P > 0.05). No difference (P > 0.05) were determined between the control and tendercut^TMsteaks in collagen solubility, thawing loss, cooking loss, percentage fat and moisture content.     

高炉耐火炉衬设计原则及“陶瓷杯”的应用

随着新型耐火材料的发展，“耐火材料法”在高炉内衬的设计中也得到了越来越广泛的应用，采用该法的主要好处是热损失小、炉缸状况稳定。以“耐火材料法“为基础，将导热性不同的材料进行合理安排后设计出了用于高炉炉缸的“陶瓷杯”。从１９８４年到１９９３年已有２３套“陶瓷杯”得到了安装或订购。     

Effects of Beef Carcass Electrical Stimulation and Hot Boning on Muscle Display Color of Polyvinylchloride Packaged Steaks

Ninety-six beef sides from 48 carcasses were used to determine the effects of control (C, chilled 48 hr at 5°C), electrical stimulation (ES, 45 min postmortem, 400 volts for 2 min, pulsed), hot boning (HB, 2 hr postmortem), and combination (ESHB) treatments on muscle color of longissimus (LD) and semimembranosus (SM) steaks packaged in polyvinylchloride film. LD from HB was mostly visually darker, had less oxymyoglobin, and more metmyoglobin than other treatments as was the SM, but SM had fewer differences between HB and ESHB. ES and ESHB muscles were visually similar, suggesting ES minimized the darkening effect of HB. Regardless of treatment, muscle color was acceptable at 0, 1, 3 and 5 days of display.     

ACCELERATED PROCESSED RESTRUCTURED BEEF STEAKS

Muscles from ungraded (no roll) beef arm chucks of A maturity steer carcasses were removed at 1 and 24 h postmortem. High connective tissue and fatty portions were reduced to 3.0 mm particle size and other muscles were comminuted to 9.9 mm. These materials were formulated with 1.0% NaCl and 0.25% sodium tripolyphosphate, converted into 25 mm thick restructured steaks and packaged. Subjective evaluations were conducted after 3 and 7 days of storage for appearance and taste attributes by seven trained panelists. Objective measurements were taken for color and tenderness traits, collagen solubility and oxidative rancidity. Postrigor steaks experienced less (P < 0.05) oxidative rancidity development with superior tenderness ratings after 7 days of storage. Rigor state of raw materials had no effect (P > 0.05) on microbial growth, peak break force, color, overall appearance, flavor, and collagen solubility of samples with the same storage periods. Oxidative rancidity of prerigor samples increased (P < 0.05) with additional storage time.     

Phase Relations in the System Uranium—Nitrogen

To supplement efforts to develop UN as a nuclear fuel material, a study of the phase relations in the system uranium-nitrogen was conducted. The decomposition behavior and melting point of UN was studied in a controlled nitrogen-pressure apparatus in which cast specimens of UN were heated and observed. UN decomposed at pressures of nitrogen below 2.5 atm at temperatures below 2850° C and melted congruently at 2850° C and pressures of 2.5 atm or greater. The nitrogen content of the liquid uranium phase in equilibrium with UN was determined by heating uranium in a UN crucible and then quenching and analyzing the equilibrated phase. The solubility of nitrogen in atomic percent can be expressed as S = 2.45 × 10⁴ exp (-38,800/RT) for temperatures in OK. Studies in the region U₂N₃-UN₂ of the system which were performed using a Sievert-type apparatus showed that although these compounds are structurally dissimilar, they form a series of continuous solid solutions. Only UN₂ formed at high pressures and low temperatures. A pressure-temperature schematic diagram and a temperature-composition schematic diagram for a nitrogen pressure of 1 atm for the system uranium-nitrogen are presented. At this pressure, UN decomposed at 2800° C and U₂N₃ decomposed at 1345° C.