Impact of the hydrodyne process on tenderness, microbial load, and sensory characteristics of pork longissimus muscle

Assessing Australian consumer preferences for fresh pork meat attributes: A best-worst approach on 46 attributes

Constant competition and changing consumer preferences prompts the need to improve the competitiveness of the Australian pork industry. This study examines the heterogeneity of Australian consumer preferences related to fresh pork cues. Using best-worst scaling, we examine the importance of 15 intrinsic and 31 extrinsic product attributes to 196 Australian consumers. Findings reveal that taste, succulence and the smell of boar taint were the most important intrinsic cues, while animal welfare and naturalness were the most important extrinsic cues. Based on the importance of intrinsic cues, four segments were identified, namely boar taint haters, lean meat eaters, colour lovers and cuts and size matters. Four segments based on extrinsic cues were identified as animal and environment lovers, naturalness lovers, demanding buyers and utilitarian buyers. This study contributes significantly to the industry by offering granular insights with respect to Australian consumer demands and optimal communication of cues.

Applied and Emerging Methods for Meat Tenderization: A Comparative Perspective

The tenderization process, which can be influenced by both pre- and post-slaughter interventions, begins immediately after an animal's death and is followed with the disruption of the muscle structure by endogenous proteolytic systems. The post-slaughter technological interventions like electrical stimulation, suspension methods, blade tenderization, tumbling, use of exogenous enzymes, and traditional aging are some of the methods currently employed by the meat industry for improving tenderness. Over the time, technological advancement resulted in development of several novel methods, for maximizing the tenderness, which are being projected as quick, economical, nonthermal, green, and energy-efficient technologies. Comparison of these advanced technological methods with the current applied industrial methods is necessary to understand the feasibility and benefits of the novel technology. This review discusses the benefits and advantages of different emerging tenderization techniques such as hydrodynamic-pressure processing, high-pressure processing, pulsed electric field, ultrasound, SmartStretch^™ , Pi-Vac Elasto-Pack® system, and some of the current applied methods used in the meat industry.

Effect of electrohydraulic shockwave treatment on tenderness, muscle cathepsin and peptidase activities and microstructure of beef loin steaks from Holstein young bulls

Hydrodynamic pressure processing (HDP) or shockwave treatment improved tenderness (18% reduction in Warner-Bratzler shear force (WBSF) of beef loin steaks. Endogenous muscle proteolyic activities (cathepsins and peptidases) and protein fragmentation of sarcoplasmic and myofibrillar proteins detected by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) were not influenced by HDP. However, microstructure changes were clearly detected using confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Specifically a disruption of the structure at the muscle fiber bundles and an increased endomysium space were observed. The present paper supports the evidence of physical disruption of the muscle fibers as a cause behind the tenderness improvement. The paper discusses the possible mechanisms responsible for the meat tenderisation induced by HDP treatment.

New developments in shockwave technology intended for meat tenderization: Opportunities and challenges. A review

Meat tenderness is an important quality parameter determining consumer acceptance and price. Meat tenderness is difficult to ensure in the global meat chain because the production systems are not always aiming at this purpose (ex.: cattle derived from milk production) and by the existence within the carcass of "tough" primals. Different methods can be used by the meat industry to improve meat tenderness each with its advantages and drawbacks. The application of hydrodynamic pressure or shockwaves has showed outstanding improvements by reducing the Warner Bratzler Shear Force by 25% or more. However, the technology has not penetrated into the market as first systems were based on the use of explosives and further developments seemed to lack the robustness to fulfill industrial requirements. The present paper describes the main challenges to construct a prototype for the continuous treatment of meat by shockwaves based on electrical discharges under water. Finally, improvements on the tenderness of meat by using the novel prototype are presented.

Penetration of surface-inoculated bacteria as a result of electrically generated hydrodynamic shock wave treatment of boneless skinless chicken breasts

The top surface of boneless skinless chicken breasts was inoculated with either green fluorescent protein (GFP)-labeled Escherichia coli (E. coli-GFP) or rifampicin-resistant E. coli (E. coli-Rif) and subjected to electrically generated hydrodynamic shock wave treatment (HVADH). Cryostat sampling in concert with laser scanning confocal microscopy or plating onto antibiotic selective agar was used to determine if HVADH treatment resulted in the movement of the inoculated bacteria from the outer inoculated surface to the interior of intact boneless skinless chicken breasts. In HVADH-treated boneless skinless chicken breasts, marker bacteria were detected within the first 200 microm below the inoculated surface, 50 to 100 microm beyond the depth of untreated surface inoculated boneless skinless chicken breasts. The exact depth at which the marker bacteria were found was dependent on the cryostat sampling distance used. These results suggest that HVADH treatments affect the movement of surface bacteria.

Penetration of surface-inoculated bacteria as a result of hydrodynamic shock wave treatment of beef steaks

The top surface of the raw eye of round steaks was inoculated with either green fluorescent protein (GFP)-labeled Escherichia coli (E. coli-GFP) or rifampin-resistant E. coli (E. coli-rif). Cryostat sampling in concert with laser scanning confocal microscopy (LSCM) or plating onto antibiotic selective agar was used to determine if hydrodynamic shock wave (HSW) treatment resulted in the movement of the inoculated bacteria from the outer inoculated surface to the interior of intact beef steaks. HSW treatment induced the movement of both marker bacteria into the steaks to a maximum depth of 300 microm (0.3 mm). Because popular steak-cooking techniques involve the application of heat from the exterior surface of the steak to achieve internal temperatures ranging from 55 to 82 degrees C, the extent of bacterial penetration observed in HSW-treated steaks does not appear to pose a safety hazard to consumers.