When the Beef Gets Too Real Chap

Meat Science and Nutrition

Meat Colour

The postal service mortem color development of meat varies greatly from i species to another, with variations in fresh beef existence very prominent. Beef shows a range of colour from beginning being cut to the stop of its shelf life (well-nigh three days).

Typical meat colour for different species is shown in Table 3.

Table 3 Typical color of meat from different species

Species	Colour
Beef	Bright cherry carmine
Fish	Pure white to grey-white or pink to dark red
Equus caballus	Dark carmine
Lamb and mutton	Light red to brick blood-red
Pork	Greyish pink
Poultry	Grey-white to irksome carmine
Veal	Brown pink

Meat colour is pregnant to consumer acceptance of products. The vivid red colour of expert quality beefiness, sockeye salmon, and young lamb are naturally appealing, whereas the paler colours of veal and other fish species are less appealing to many (although more sought after by some ethnic groups). Dark meats such as equus caballus are more than popular in Quebec and European countries. Mutton (sheep over 12 months of age with darker flesh) appeals to an fifty-fifty smaller range of customers.

Factors Affecting Colour

Use of Muscles

Poultry provides a good opportunity to meet and learn almost the differences in meat colour. Meat cutters and cooks may often exist asked why different parts of a chicken have and other parts have , or why duck or game birds have mostly dark meat.

The colour of the meat is determined by how the musculus is used. Upland game birds, such as and grouse, that fly just for brusque bursts have white chest meat. In contrast, ducks and geese and most other game birds that fly long distances accept exclusively dark meat. In domestic poultry (chickens and turkeys), there is a difference between breasts (white meat) and thighs and drumsticks (night meat).

Note: Chicken thighs, even when fully cooked, may have a reddish tinge and claret seepage from the thigh os. This is normal; however, inexperienced customers may interpret this as a sign of not being cooked properly.

Proteins

Meat colour is associated with two proteins: (in the muscle) and (in the blood). When animals are no longer live and air comes in contact with the meat, myoglobin reacts with oxygen in an endeavor to reach a state of equilibrium, at which betoken no farther changes occur. Every bit this procedure happens, the meat color goes through three stages and three colours that are piece of cake to see, especially on freshly cut beef meats.

1. Purplish red (myoglobin): occurs immediately later on a is sliced.
2. Cherry red (oxymyoglobin): occurs several minutes later cutting and after exposure to oxygen.
3. Dark-brown (metmyoglobin): occurs when the iron in the myoglobin is oxidized, which commonly takes near 3 days after cutting. (You may see steaks with this colour in the disbelieve bin at a supermarket. The brown colour doesn't mean there is anything incorrect with the production; in fact, purchasing meat at this phase is a great way to stock up on cheaper steaks for the freezer.)

Oxygen

Oxygen plays two of import roles, which affect the colour in opposite ways. As soon as meat is cut, oxygen reacts with the myoglobin and creates the brilliant red colour associated with oxymyoglobin. This will keep to develop until the atomic number 26 in the myoglobin oxidizes to the betoken of the phase.

Oxidation can also occur when iron in the meat binds with oxygen in the muscle. This can often occur during the processing of round steak from the hip primal and tin can be identified by the rainbow-like colours that announced from the reflection of light off the meat surface. The condition volition remain later the product is cooked and can oftentimes be seen on sliced roast beefiness used in sandwich making. This condition does not alter the quality of the meat; however, it is mostly less attractive to consumers.

Age

The stake muscles of veal carcasses bespeak an immature animal, which has a lower myoglobin count than those of more mature animals. Young cattle are fed primarily milk products to keep their flesh light in color. Notwithstanding once a calf is weaned and begins to eat grass, its flesh begins to darken. Intact males such every bit convenance bulls have muscle that contains more myoglobin than females (heifers) or steers (castrated males) at a comparable historic period.

Generally, beef and lamb accept more myoglobin in their muscles than pork, veal, fish, and poultry. Game animals take muscles that are darker than those of domestic animals, in part due to the higher level of physical activity, and therefore they also have higher myoglobin.

Preventing Discolouration

Maintaining the temperature of fresh meat near the freezing point (0°C/32°F) helps maintain the bright red color () of beef meats for much longer and prevents discolouration.

Meat should be immune to flower completely (the bloom usually reaches its height about three or 4 days after cutting) or exist wrapped on a meat tray with a wrapping film as in supermarket meat displays. If portioned steaks are to be vacuum packed, doing so immediately later cutting (but earlier the blossom has started) will let the steaks to flower naturally when removed from the vacuum packaging.

Sure phases of meat processing tin also trigger discolouration. Oxidation browning (metmyoglobin) tin develop more than quickly than normal if something occurs to restrict the flow of oxygen once the bloom has started only has non been allowed to run its full class. The two most common examples are:

• Cut meat surfaces stay in contact as well long with flat surfaces such as cutting tables, cutting boards, or trays.
• Meat is wrapped in paper (which means there is no further exposure to air and therefore no oxygen, which speeds up the browning issue).

The browning effect will occur naturally once the meat is exposed to oxygen.

There are two other types of discolouration that usually occur with beef and pig meat. Although the cause of both types occurs before expiry (), the bodily change does not testify upwards until after death (post mortem). The discolouration is a result of chemical reactions in the animal's body due to stresses, known as .

PSS tin can result in 2 different types of discolouration: PSE and DFD.

(pale, soft, and exudative) occurs mainly in pigs (and in some cases has been institute to exist genetic). PSE is brought about by a sudden increment of lactic acid due to the depletion of glycogen before slaughter, which in plow causes a rapid decline in the pH post slaughter. The visible signs of PSE can be detected past the trained eye in the pork loin primal, where the flesh appears much paler than normal. The muscle meat is softer and may be very sloppy and moisture to the bear upon and leaking meat juices, a result of a high proportion of complimentary water in the tissues.

Although product with PSE is safe to eat, its shelf life is limited and it may become tougher sooner if overcooked. Products with PSE have limited apply equally fresh products but are used to manufacture cooked products such as formed ham and certain sausage varieties with a recommended limit of 10% (i.east., one part PSE to ix parts of regular meat), due to the high water content.

(dark, firm, and dry) occurs mainly in beef carcasses but sometimes in lamb and turkey. In the meat manufacture, these carcasses are referred to equally . Unlike PSE meat, DFD meat shows little or no driblet in the pH later slaughter. Instead, at that place may be an increase of stress hormones, such equally , released into the bloodstream. Consequently, (musculus sugar) is depleted before slaughter due to stresses. This decreases the lactic acid, which in plow affects the pH, causing it to non drop fast enough subsequently slaughter. Therefore, the muscle meat, typically in the hip area of the carcass, may become very dry out and dark.

Even later on the carcass is aged and the meat has been processed and displayed, the dark appearance remains and bloom volition not occur. In add-on, the meat may likewise experience gummy to the bear on, which limits shelf life. DFD meat is more often than not considered unattractive to the consumer; however, the meat remains edible and is still suitable for use in cooked products and sausage emulsions simply should be express to 10% (i office DFD to nine parts of regular meat).

Listed beneath are some causes of DFD that should exist avoided:

• Transferring animals to strange environs (kill constitute) and holding them for too long
• Treating animals roughly prior to and during transport (due east.g., using cattle prods)
• Overcrowding cattle during shipping
• Mixing cattle with other animals they are non used to
• Preventing animals from having sufficient rest at the slaughter-house prior to harvesting
• Dehydrating animals (not giving them plenty water) prior to slaughter
• Causing over-excitement, pain, hunger, excessive noise, aroma of blood
• Exposing animals to temperature extremes during transportation
• Shipping stress-susceptible animals, such as intact males (bulls), during astringent weather condition

Note: DFD tin occur anywhere between 12 and 48 hours prior to an animal's slaughter.

Imperfections and Abnormalities in Meat

Even though meats arriving at their final destination (betoken of sale) have normally been approved and inspected, the product even so requires further checks prior to sale and eating in example abnormal meat inconsistencies were missed in the inspection procedure. Some of these are caused by injuries or disease that occurred while the animal was alive, while others are naturally occurring parts of the animate being's body (glands in particular) that are removed prior to or during the cutting process.

Some examples are given hither.

• and : infected or not-infected tumours from erstwhile injuries that are imbedded in muscles and sometimes close to bones (Figure 9).

Figure 9. Cyst in beefiness short loin.

• : usually from more recent injuries and likewise found imbedded in muscles or between muscle seams or on or near bone joints.
• : scar tissue, normally from very old injuries, with the advent of white fatty seams or thin strands tightly jump together, making the muscle tough and unsightly.
• and : lymph nodes are glands in the throat and back of the tongue that give a practiced indication of the general wellness of the fauna; these are inspected on the animal carcass at the harvesting plant prior to existence sold, but internal or intermuscular glands are not examined unless further inspection is recommended past a veterinarian. Consequently, iii major glands are removed from beefiness, pork, and lamb during processing to ensure the public do not encounter them. They are the , located in the neck and bract sub-primals beneath the junction of the fifth cervical vertebra (Effigy 10); the , located at ninety degrees to the round os on the hip on the exterior of the sirloin tip imbedded in the cod fat pocket (Figure eleven); and the , located in the outside circular sub-primal in the hip fundamental between the eye of the round and the outside round apartment under the heel of round, imbedded in a fat pocket (Effigy 12).

Effigy 10. Prescapular gland.

Figure 11. Prefemoral gland.

Effigy 12. Popliteal gland.

coolidgebeink1975.blogspot.com

Source: https://opentextbc.ca/meatcutting/chapter/meat-colour/

Share this post