Improving the Sensory and Nutritional Quality of Fresh Meat

Joseph Kerry

• Publisher: Woodhead Publishing
• Year: 2009
• Print ISBN:
  9781845693435
• eBook ISBN:
  9781845695439
• Topic: Technology & Engineering
• Subtopic: Food Science
• Index: Technology & Engineering

Understanding of the scientific basis of quality attributes in meat is becoming more advanced, providing more effective approaches to the control of meat eating and technological quality. This important collection reviews essential knowledge of the mechanisms underlying quality characteristics and methods to improve meat sensory and nutritional quality.Part one analyses the scientific basis of meat quality attributes, such as texture and tenderness, colour, water-holding capacity and flavour development. Chapters on the nutritional quality of meat and meat sensory evaluation complete the section. Part two discusses significant insights into the biology of meat quality obtained from genomic and proteomic perspectives, with chapters focussing on different types of meat. Parts three and four then review production and processing strategies to optimise meat quality, considering aspects such as production practices and meat nutritional quality, dietary antioxidants and antimicrobials, carcass interventions, chilling and freezing and packaging. Methods of meat grading and quality analysis are also included.With its distinguished editors and international team of contributors, Improving the sensory and nutritional quality of fresh meat is a standard reference for those industrialists and academics interested in optimising meat quality. - Reviews methods to improve meat sensory and nutritional quality considering the effects of different production practices such as chilling, freezing and packaging - Analyses the scientific basis of meat quality attributes covering texture, tenderness, colour and water-holding capacity - Examines production and processing strategies to optimise meat quality, including the current state of development and future potential

Part I

Understanding meat quality

Outline

Chapter 1: Trends in meat consumption and the need for fresh meat and meat products of improved quality

Chapter 2: Biology and regulation of carcass composition

Chapter 3: Fresh meat texture and tenderness

Chapter 4: Meat color

Chapter 5: Flavour development in meat

Chapter 6: Fresh meat water-holding capacity

Chapter 7: The nutritional quality of meat

Chapter 8: Sensory evaluation of fresh meat

1

Trends in meat consumption and the need for fresh meat and meat products of improved quality

M.D. Aaslyng, Danish Meat Research Institute, Denmark

Abstract

Meat is one of our main food items and most recipes are named after the meat ingredients. During the last fifty years, meat consumption has increased by aproximately 50% in both USA and Europe. Meat is eaten due to its culinary status (we like meat) but also due to its nutritional value. This chapter focuses on the meat consumption pattern and on the factors important for both the gastronomic and nutritional value of meat.

Key words

meat consumption

eating quality

nutritional quality

meat

pork

beef

poultry

1.1 Introduction

Meat is one of our main food items. Looking in a cook book, most recipes are named after the meat ingredients and meat is in general seen as a central part of the meal (Horowitz, 2006). Already by the Middle Ages, eating meat was seen as a sign of prosperity and wealth (Anon, 2007), and following the increased wealth in the community, the amount of meat eaten increased (Horowitz, 2006). From the 1950s to the 1990s meat consumption per inhabitant increased by approximately 50% in both the USA and Europe (Fagt et al., 1992; Horowitz, 2006), and also in the last ten years increasing meat consumption has been seen (Breadsworth et al., 2004). In the southern part of Europe, meat has now overtaken fish as the main protein source and actually more meat is eaten today in countries around the Mediterranean compared with the northern part of Europe, which by tradition used to be heavily meat eating (Marques-Vidal et al., 2006; Naska et al., 2006). Even though some people regard meat negatively (Holm et al. 2000) 98–99% of the population eat meat regularly (Garemo et al., 2007; Guenther et al., 2005), even though newer surveys show a gradual decrease in meat consumption in the last years, at least in Denmark (Fagt et al., 2002).

The main meat types are beef, poultry (chicken and turkey), and pork. In an investigation in the USA of what kind of meat was eaten in a two-day period in 1994–1996, beef was the most frequently eaten meat, followed by chicken, with pork the least popular. However, increase in meat consumption in the USA is most noticeably an increase in consumption of chicken (Sloan, 2003), and today this type of meat might be the most popular. Also, in Norway the consumers prefer white to red meat (Kubberød et al., 2002a).

However, behind these facts about meat consumption, variations are present. It is reported in many countries that boys and men eat more meat compared with girls and women (Cosgrove et al., 2005; Guether et al., 2005; Lyhne, 2005). Also the type of meat that the two genders prefer, differ. Men prefer red meat while women eat more white meat and even take a dislike to red meat (Kubberød et al., 2002a, 2006). Also the attitude towards meat is more positive for men compared with women (Kubberød et al., 2002b).

An age difference in meat consumption pattern also exists. Young consumers eat less meat and prefer, to a large degree, white meat to red meat compared with more adult consumers (Aaslyng et al., 2007b; Koizumi et al., 2001; Kubberød et al., 2002a); and families with children eat more meat than families without children (Groth et al., 2003). It also seems that more educated consumers eat less meat (Groth et al., 2003). In general, young well-educated women are among the least meat-eating consumers while adult, less educated men are among the most meat-eating.

The cutting of the meat has an influence on its popularity. Minced meat is often preferred, as the chance of success in cooking is high (Holm et al., 2000). A Swedish survey showed that 98% of children eat minced meat at least once a week (Garemo et al., 2007). In Denmark, a geographic difference is seen regarding which form of pork is mostly eaten. In a city close to the capital, whole meat pieces, such as chops or roasts, are often bought, while far from the capital, minced meat is more often chosen (unpublished data).

Which meat-based meal is the most popular differs during a lifetime. In Sweden, 83% of children had sausages at least once a week (Garemo et al., 2007), and also in Denmark sausages are mainly eaten by children. Figure 1.1 shows the popularity of five meals, depending on the consumer’s age. The results are from a survey in which consumers indicated which meals they had eaten in the past week. Please note that this procedure (having more pork meals than chicken meals to choose between) means that chicken seems most popular, even though pork is eaten more often.

Fig. 1.1 The popularity of five selected meals in Denmark (National Danish Dietary Survey, 2000–2002; Fagt, Pers. Comm., 2007).

Beef bolognaise and other stews, and chicken, are the two most popular meals, independent of age. Sausages are very popular up to 14 years of age, at which point their popularity drops dramatically. However, from 25–34 years they regain their popularity and are the fourth most popular meal. This corresponds to the period in which many people have small children – who eat sausages! Whole beef roasts and steaks are most popular with consumers from 35–65 years old, after which they drop again. This last decrease can be due either to a reduced chewing capacity or to a reduction in income and thereby in the amount of disposable money for buying food.

The way in which meals with meat are composed can be either very traditional or more varied. When pork is served as a whole roast in Denmark, the accompaniments are often very traditional, including potatoes, gravy, pickled red cabbage and occasionally salad. In contrast, pork chops are served with a much larger variety of accompaniments. The basic accompaniment is mainly potatoes and sometimes rice, while pasta is seldom served. In addition to this, salad, bread and a large variety of vegetables both hot and cold are served with the chops (Aaslyng et al., 2007a). The same pattern seen for chops has been seen for beef steaks. They are most often served with potatoes, combined with a large variety of vegetables and salad (unpublished data).

In this way, some cuts seem much more traditional in the way they are served compared with others, in which the serving can be more varied. It is not established how these traditions are kept or broken. Who decides what is trendy? Chefs experiment with meals – not only the cooking of the meat, in which trends using low cooking temperatures for long times, often combined with a low internal temperature, have arrived in the last years – but also in the way the whole meal is composed. However, these trends are seldom converted directly to ordinary consumers. Meals prepared in the ho...

Table of contents

• Cover image
• Title page
• Table of Contents
• Related titles
• Copyright
• Contributor contact details
• Preface
• Part I: Understanding meat quality
• Part II: Improving the quality of fresh meat: genetic and genomic technologies
• Part III: Improving the quality of fresh meat: production strategies
• Part IV: Improving the quality of fresh meat: processing strategies
• Index