Meet the Meat

Food Technologist view

Food Technology Group

Adriana Sterian
September 2020
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About this course
Inside meat
Meat changes
Meat nutrition
Meat processing
Meat safety

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Controversial meat

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 Structure and
Composition of Meat
• Meat
– Generally refers to the skeletal muscle from the
carcasses of animals
• Made-up (approx.)
– 60-70% water yield, WHC
– 10-20% protein lean/fat
– 2-22% fat
– 1% ash (mineral)
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 “Meat” contents

Muscle cell/ fiber -> fibrils

• Muscle cell/fiber
• Connective tissue (collagen)
Epimysium • Fat cells/adipose tissue
Connective tissue
around muscle

The quality of the meat: its texture, colour and flavour are
determined largely by the arrangement and relative
proportion of muscle fibres, connective tissue and fat tissue
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 “Meat” contents

Muscle Fiber
• Muscle fibers
Epimysium • Connective tissue
• Fat cells
Perimysium

How do you cut/carve

the meat?

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 Quality Grades—Degrees of
Marbling

Mod. Abundant Slightly Abundant Moderate

Modest Small Slight to None

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Muscle pigments

Why is meat red?

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Muscle pigments

Why is meat red?

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Muscle pigments

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Muscle pigments

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 Meat as a Food Source

• Complete protein source

• Excellent source of iron
• Fat, makes the product juicy, tender, and
adds flavor
• Fat also reduces formulation costs
Essential amino acids, zinc,
B12, selenium, phosphorus,
niacin, B6, choline,
riboflavin, iron

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Processed Meats
1/3rd of all meat
Curing
Smoking
Canning
Drying

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 Processed Meats
1/3rd of all meat
Ex: ham, bacon, sausages,
frankfurters, corned beef, and Curing
luncheon meats; Smoking
Canning
addition of synthetic nitrates or
nitrites, salt, and other Drying
preservatives;

Dry curing
Brining the meat
Mechanically pumped/ injected
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 Processed Meats
• Has been practiced since the 1/3rd of all meat
beginning of recorded history Curing

• Smoke effectively inhibits Smoking

microbial growth Canning
• Creates unique flavor Drying

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Target: Toxic (DNA damaging)
by products of cooked meat
Creatine + amino acids
Heterocyclic Amines (HCA)

Burned organic material

Wood&fat
Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons
(PAH)

Amino acids + nitrite

Nitrosamines

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Maillard reaction

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Maillard reaction in meat

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Target: Food borne illness
• Food borne diseases (FBD) are acute illnesses
associated with the recent consumption of food

• The food involved is usually contaminated with a

disease pathogen or toxicant.
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10 Facts on Food Safety

75% of infectious diseases affecting human

Animal origin bacteria pathogens
viruses

Many of these diseases in people are related to

the handling of infected domestic and wild animals
during food production - in food markets and at
slaughter houses.
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 5 Keys to food Safety!

WHO and Member States are promoting the benefits of food safety, healthy
diets and physical activity. The five keys to safer food are:

1. keep clean
2. separate raw and cooked
3. cook all foods thoroughly
4. keep food at safe temperatures
5. use safe water and raw materials.

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 10 Facts on Food Safety

Minimize the risk of avian influenza!

The vast majority of H5N1 avian influenza cases in people
follow direct contact with infected live or dead birds.

There is no evidence that the disease is spread to people by

eating properly cooked poultry.

To avoid risk of foodborne illnesses in poultry:

• separate raw meat from other foods

• keep clean and wash your hands
• cook thoroughly (until meat is 70 °C in all
parts, with no pink areas).
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Target: Food borne illness
Salmonella

>2000 bacterial types

Adaptable to extremes
Found in most animals
Escherichia coli No obvious effect on the animal
carriers
Normal residents of the intestine
of warm-blood animals
Several strains are aliens
Main source: ground beef
Enterohemorrhagic E. coli
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Wash raw chicken?

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New technologies

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 Food Technology Group
Adriana Sterian
adriana.sterian@hvhl.nl

Harold McGEE
Chapter 3 on Meat
September 2020
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