Accelerated Postmortem Aging of Beef Utilizing Electronbeam Irradiation and Modified Atmosphere Packaging

Application of Collagenolytic Proteases from Bacillus subtilis B13 and Bacillus siamensis S6 for Tenderizing Goat Meat during Wet Aging

This research aimed to assess the effect of collagenolytic proteases from Bacillus subtilis B13 and Bacillus siamensis S6 for tenderizing goat meat during wet aging. Collagenolytic proteases B13 and S6 were prepared at 5 U/mL of collagenolytic activity before injecting into goat meat with 10% (v/w) of initial weight. The control sample was injected with distilled water and used as a negative control. The injected meats were placed in vacuum-sealed bags and wet aged at 4°C for 0, 3, 5, 7, 14, and 21 days. Thereafter, total aerobic count and physicochemical quality were elucidated. Both enzyme-treated samples from B13 and S6 aged for 5 days showed an acceptable microbial quality with lower than 5.7 Log CFU/g. These conditions produced the tender meats by the reduction in shear force accounting for 30% for B13 and 26% for S6 as compared to the control. Moreover, the enzyme-treated samples showed lower values of hardness, gumminess, and chewiness, with higher springiness and trichloroacetic acid-soluble peptides than the control (p<0.05). The detrimental impact on cooking loss and lipid oxidation was not found. Enzyme-injected meat had a lower cooking loss than the control (p<0.05) with no significant difference in lipid oxidation (p>0.05). Notably, meats treated with B13 and S6 were lower in CIE L* value as compared to the control (p<0.05) with no significant impact on CIE a* and CIE b* (p>0.05). These results suggested that these two collagenolytic proteases could enhance the quality of goat meat in terms of tenderness and reduce the aging time for meat tenderization.

In Situ Tracking of Crystal-Surface-Dependent Cu2O Nanoparticle Dissolution in an Aqueous Environment

Metal-oxide-based nanoparticles (MONPs) such as Cu₂O NPs have attracted growing attention, but the potential discharges of MONPs have raised considerable concern of their environmental fate including their dissolution behavior. The impacts of morphology on MONP dissolution are largely uncertain due to the lack of in situ tracking techniques. In this study, we combined a series of in situ technologies including liquid-cell transmission electron microscopy and fluorescence probes to reveal the in situ dissolution process of Cu₂O NPs in freshwater. Our results suggest that cubic Cu₂O NPs exhibit a higher dissolution quantity compared with spherical NPs of the same surface area. The difference was mainly related to the crystal surface, while other factors such as particle size or aggregation status showed minor effects. Importantly, we demonstrated the simultaneous growth of new small NPs and the dissolution of pristine Cu₂O NPs during the dissolution of Cu₂O NPs. Cubic Cu₂O NPs became much less soluble under O₂-limited conditions, suggesting that O₂ concentration largely affected the dependence of dissolution on the NP morphology. Our findings highlight the potential application of in situ techniques to track the environmental fates of MONPs, which would provide important information for assessing the ecological risks of engineered NPs.

Application of gamma radiation in the beef texture development during accelerated aging

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of gamma radiation (3 kGy) on the quality of post-rigor beef (M. longissimus lumborum) aged for up to 21 days at different temperatures (1, 7, and 15°C). Irradiation reduced the mesophilic and lactic acid bacteria counts, which were higher in the non-irradiated samples aged at 7 and 15°C. The water retention capacity was lower in the irradiated beef, resulting in higher values of exudation and cooking losses. High aging temperatures increased the exudation loss and myofibrillar proteolysis (lower fragmentation index; FI) and reduced the total and insoluble collagen contents and the beef Warner-Bratzler square Shear Force (WBsSF). However, irradiated beef had higher FI and SF than non-irradiated ones, increasing the time required for the beef tenderizing. Gamma irradiation (3 kGy) can be used to ensure the microbiological safety during short storage at high temperatures (up to 15°C) in order to accelerate the process of beef tenderizing.

Combined Effect of Aging and Irradiation on Physicochemical Quality of Pork Shoulder

The effect of combined electron-beam irradiation and aging temperature of pork on microbiological and physicochemical properties was investigated. The samples from pork shoulder were irradiated with 0 or 2 kGy, vacuum-packaged, and assigned randomly to an aging temperature (2°C, 10°C, or 25°C) during 8 d. On 4 d of aging at 25°C, total aerobic bacteria of non-irradiated ones reached 7 Log CFU/g which is no salable levels. Shear force values of irradiated meat after aging for 2 and 4 d at 25°C was lower than those aged at 2°C. Irradiated samples at 2°C had lower cooking loss after 2 and 8 d of aging, compared with other aging temperatures. Irradiation did not accelerate 2-thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARS) value when aged up to 4 d. Irradiated samples aged at 10°C and 25°C for 8 d scored significantly higher TBARS values. With an increased aging period, a* and b* in irradiated samples at 2°C slightly increased, but irradiation caused negligible changes in meat color. The highest contents of a desirable nucleotide flavor compounds (inosine-5-phosphate) were observed in pork at 2°C when aged for 4 and 8 d, while the lowest contents were observed at 25°C. Aging in irradiated pork for 8 d at 2°C resulted in optimal condition with improved meat quality and minimal microbiologically negative defect.

Application of Electron-Beam Irradiation Combined with Aging for Improvement of Microbiological and Physicochemical Quality of Beef Loin

The combined effects of irradiation and aging temperature on the microbial and chemical quality of beef loin were investigated. The samples were vacuum-packaged, irradiated at 0 or 2 kGy using electron-beam (EB), and stored for 10 d at different aging temperatures (2, 14, or 25℃). The microbial growth, shear values, meat color, and nucleotide-related flavor compounds of the samples were analyzed. The irradiation effect on inactivation of foodborne pathogens was also investigated. The population of Listeria monocytogenes and Escherhia coli O157:H7 inoculated in beef samples decreased in proportion to the irradiation dose. Irradiation reduced the total aerobic bacteria (TAB) over the storage, but higher aging temperature increased the TBA. Thus TAB increased sharply in non-irradiated and high temperature-aged (14, 25℃) beef samples after 5 d. With increasing aging temperature and aging time, shear force values decreased. Lipid oxidation could be reduced by short aging time at low aging temperature. The color a* values of the irradiated beef were lower than those of the non-irradiated throughout the aging period. As aging period and temperature increased, IMP decreased and hypoxanthine increased. Considering microbial and physicochemical properties, irradiation can be used for raw beef to be aged at relatively high temperature to shorten aging time and cost.

Combined Effect of Irradiation and Ageing Condition on Physicochemical and Microbial Quality of Hanwoo Eye of Round

The combined effects of electron-beam irradiation and ageing of beef were examined. The irradiated samples at dose of 0 or 2 kGy were kept and analyzed for the microbial growth, shear values, meat color, and nucleotide-related flavor compounds at different ageing temperatures (2, 10, or 25℃) for 8 d. The irradiation effect on inactivation of foodborne pathogens was also investigated. The population of Listeria monocytogenes and E. coli O157:H7 inoculated in beef samples decreased in proportion to the irradiation dose, showing D10 values of 0.66 and 0.65 kGy respectively. The irradiated beef eye of round had lower number of total aerobic bacteria (TAB) than non-irradiated one during the storage, but the TAB increased with higher ageing temperature (p<0.05). Especially, TAB increased sharply in non-irradiated samples aged at 25℃ after 4 d (p<0.05). With increasing ageing temperature and ageing time, shear force values decreased (p<0.05). The color a* values of the irradiated beef were lower than those of the non-irradiated throughout the ageing period (p<0.05). As ageing time and temperature increased, the amounts of inosine monophosphate decreased and the hypoxanthine increased (p<0.05). Relatively high ageing temperature could be used at irradiated beef eye of round to shorten the ageing time.

Effect of muscle type, packaging, and irradiation on lipid oxidation, volatile production, and color in raw pork patties

Effects of packaging and irradiation combinations on lipid oxidation, off-flavor, and color changes of raw patties prepared from three pork muscles were studied. Patties were prepared from each of the ground L. dorsi (L. thoracis and lumborum), psoas, and R. femoris muscles of pig, packaged either in oxygen permeable polyethylene bags or impermeable nylon/polyethylene bags, irradiated with an electron beam at 0 or 4.5 kGy dose, and then stored up to two weeks at 4 °C. Lipid 8 oxidation and color of the patties were determined after 0, 3, 7, and 14 days of storage, and volatiles 24 hr after irradiation. Irradiation and high fat content accelerated the lipid oxidation in raw meat during storage. Oxygen availability during storage, however, was more important than irradiation on the lipid oxidation and color values of raw patties. Irradiated meat produced more volatiles than nonirradiated patties, and the proportion of volatiles varied by the packaging-irradiation conditions of patties. Irradiation produced many unidentified volatiles that could be responsible for the off-odor in irradiated raw meat. No single volatile components but total volatiles, however, could be used to predict lipid oxidation status of raw meat.