Effects of pressurization on structure, water distribution, and sensory attributes of cured ham: can pressurization reduce the crucial sodium content?

Compendium of sodium reduction strategies in foods: A scoping review

In response to health concerns generated by increased sodium intake, many new approaches have been studied to reduce the sodium content in processed food. It has been suggested that reducing sodium in the food supply may be the most appropriate solution. The aim of this scoping review was to establish what sodium reduction strategies are effective in maintaining acceptable sensory qualities for various food industry applications. Studies that evaluate and report on the effectiveness of a sodium reduction strategy relevant to food and included outcomes detailing how the strategies were received by human subjects using sensory data are included, as well as book chapters, literature reviews, and patents focusing on sodium reduction strategies. Only those published in English and since 1970 were included. Literature was obtained through Scopus, PubMed, EBSCOhost, and ScienceDirect databases, whereas patents were obtained through US Patent Trademark Office, Google Patents, and PATENTSCOPE databases. Two-hundred and seventy-seven primary studies, 27 literature reviews, 10 book chapters, and 143 patents were selected for inclusion. Data extracted included details such as analytical methods, broad and specific treatment categories, significant outcomes, and limitations among other material. Sodium reduction methods were categorized as either salt removal, salt replacement, flavor modification, functional modification, or physical modification. Although salt removal and salt replacement were the majority of included studies, future research would benefit from combining methods from other categories while investigating the impact on sensory characteristics, technological aspects, and consumer perception of the strategy.

Effect of Partial Substitution of Sodium Chloride (NaCl) with Potassium Chloride (KCl) Coupled with High-Pressure Processing (HPP) on Physicochemical Properties and Volatile Compounds of Beef Sausage under Cold Storage at 4 °C

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of partial substitution of sodium chloride (NaCl) with potassium chloride (KCl) in combination with high-pressure processing (HPP) on the physicochemical properties and volatile compounds of beef sausage during cold storage at 4 °C. Significant differences were found in the volatile compounds of beef sausages with 0%, 25%, and 50% NaCl contents partially substituted with KCl subjected to 28 days of storage and were well-visualized by heat map analysis. A total of 75 volatile compounds were identified and quantified in the beef sausages at the end of 28 days of storage, including 12 aldehydes, 4 phenols, 2 ketones, 18 alcohols, 8 acids, 3 esters, 14 terpenes, and 14 alkanes. Thirteen compounds had low odor activity values (OAV) (OAV < 1); however, high OAV (OAV > 1) were obtained after partial substitution of NaCl by KCl at 25% and 50% with HPP treatment compared to the non-HPP treated samples. In addition, 50% NaCl substitution with KCl in conjunction with HPP treatments increased thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) by (0.46 ± 0.03 mg/MDA) compared with no HPP treatments. Replacement of 25% and 50% NaCl with KCl decreased TBARS by an average of 10.8% and 11.10%, respectively, compared to 100% NaCl coupled with HPP beef sausages. In summary, HPP and partial substitution of NaCl with KCl at 25% and 50% can be used to compensate for the reduction of NaCl in beef sausage by keeping the physical and flavor fraction at required levels.

Monitoring microstructural changes and moisture distribution of dry-cured pork: a combined confocal laser scanning microscopy and hyperspectral imaging study

BACKGROUND

Various spectral profiles, including reflectance, absorbance, and Kubelka-Munk spectra, have been derived from hyperspectral images and used to develop multivariate models to evaluate changes in the quality of meat and meat products as a function of processing. However, none of these has the capacity to produce images of the structural changes often associated with processing. This study explored the feasibility of combining hyperspectral imaging (HSI) with confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) to examine the impact of processing on microstructural changes and the evolution of moisture. Reflectance spectra features were obtained and transformed into absorbance and Kubelka-Munk spectra and their ability to predict moisture content using models established on partial least-squares regression were evaluated.

RESULTS

The partial least-squares regression model (full-band wavelength) dubbed Rs-MSC yielded the best result, with R c 2 = 0.967 , RMSEC = 0.127, R cv 2 = 0.949 , RMSECV = 0.418, R p 2 = 0.937 , RMSEP = 0.824. Next, a total of 16 optimum wavelengths were selected using the competitive adaptive reweighted sampling algorithm. These wavelengths also yielded good results for Rs-MSC, with R c 2 = 0.958 , RMSEC = 0.840, R cv 2 = 0.931 , RMSECV = 0.118, R p 2 = 0.926 , RMSEP = 0.121. Regarding moisture distribution and microstructure analysis, HSI and CLSM were able to reveal moisture content distribution and conformational differences in microstructure in the test samples.

CONCLUSION

Using HSI in synergy with CLSM may offer a reliable means for assessing both the chemical and structural changes that occur in other congener food products during processing. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry.

Effect of long-term heat exposure on rheological and intrinsic water characteristics of bone-derived beef stocks

Bone-derived protein stocks are used in food industry to enhance taste of soups, sauces, and a range of other products. Both during commercial manufacturing and when used for culinary purposes, the stocks may be exposed to high temperatures for an extended time period. The present study investigated the effect of retention at 90°C for 0, 3, 6, 9, 24, 48, 72, and 168 hr on the functional attributes of concentrated bone-derived beef stocks (57% Dry matter (DM)). Visual inspection and rheological analyses showed that during increasing heat exposure, the gel strength as well as viscosity of the concentrated stocks decreased incrementally and significantly (P > 0.001). Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) relaxation measurements conducted on the beef stocks also revealed strong effects of heat exposure on the transverse (T₂ ) relaxation time, which increased incrementally and significantly (P > 0.001) with longer heat exposure. Thus, the present study demonstrated that heat-induced changes in rheological properties of bone-derived beef stocks can be ascribed to changes in intrinsic water-protein interactions and water attributes as a result of heat-induced protein modifications. In conclusion, the study proves that NMR relaxometry is a valuable tool for monitoring changes in intrinsic water mobility that are manifested in modified functional attributes of concentrated beef stocks.

Effect of different air/steam convection cooking methods on turkey breast meat: physical characterization, water status and sensory properties

Turkey breast samples were cooked using a forced convection oven at three relative humidity levels (RH=8, 35 and 88%) at 100°C. Cooking parameters (temperature, cook value, and yield), textural and sensory properties as well as water status of the samples were evaluated. The application of different RH levels resulted in different cooking performances and cooked meat quality. Low steam cooking conditions (RH=35%) significantly increased cooking yield (7% higher than the high steam cooking), moisture content and water-holding capacity and had a positive effect on perceived tenderness, as shown by sensory analysis, where steam cooked samples were perceived as the most tender. The more mobile protons of (1)H T(2) (relaxing at times longer than 1s) in low steam samples were related to the higher perceived tenderness. Low steam cooking allowed for less water consumption, making this process an attractive cooking method as compared to high steam, as it also resulted in higher quality cooked turkey meat.

Water distribution and microstructure in enhanced pork

Water characteristics and meat microstructure of NaHCO3-enhanced pork were compared with NaCl- and Na4O7P2-enhanced pork using low-field proton NMR relaxometry, advanced microscopy techniques, and traditional meat quality measurements. Porcine samples were enhanced at 4 degrees C for 48 h with sodium salts individually and in the following combinations: (i) 5% NaCl, (ii) 5% Na4O7P2, (iii) 3% NaHCO3, (iv) 5% NaCl and 5% Na4O7P2, (v) 5% NaCl and 3% NaHCO3, (vi) 5% Na4O7P2 and 3% NaHCO3, and (vii) 5% NaCl, 5% Na4O7P2, and 3% NaHCO3. Independently of the marinade used, the water-binding capacity was improved, cooking loss was reduced, and the yield was enhanced compared with nonmarinated pork samples. This was also reflected in the water mobility within the samples measured by proton NMR relaxometry. Visualization of samples by confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) revealed salt-dependent microstructural changes in the green pork samples treated with NaHCO3, giving rise to nearly complete disintegration of overall structures. High-resolution visualization by atomic force microscopy (AFM) further suggested that a higher cooking loss in sodium chloride-enhanced samples could be ascribed to less solubilization and higher heat-induced protein denaturation compared with phosphate- and bicarbonate-enhanced samples.