Beef is sometimes referred to as the “meat of the rich”, and there is some historical justification for this. Beef consumption can to some extent be considered an indicator of the purchasing power of the population. Since 1995, beef consumption in Europe has slumped by approximately 11%. Another significant fall of around 5% was caused … [Read more…]
Ice crystals formed during the freezing process damage mitochondria in muscle tissues from which enzymes such as aconitase are released, and their activity may therefore serve as an indicator of previous meat freezing. Aconitase activity was investigated spectrophotometrically in the exudate released from meat samples during refrigerator and freezer storage. This method proved to be … [Read more…]
The assessment of results for non-dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (NDL PCBs) in the years 2009–2011 and 2012 demonstrated average concentrations of NDL PCBs in a range of 6.13 to 10.34 ng.g-1 of fat in beef and 5.48 to 8.02 ng.g-1 of fat in pork. For highly chlorinated PCBs, the average values of individual congeners were ranked … [Read more…]
The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of the targeted selection of common pheasants (Phasianus colchicus) intended to result in a higher body weight at the age of 7 weeks on selected carcass traits in intensively fattened male pheasants. The average live body weight of the male pheasants at the end of … [Read more…]
The intent of this study was to evaluate the effect of a commercial type of cattle on the parameters of quality in the beef carcass and its meat (dry matter, content of protein, fat and ash). The values in the CIELab system were also monitored. In total, 87 bulls were involved in the experiment (35 … [Read more…]
Undesirable compounds such as trans-unsaturated fatty acids, cyclic fatty acids and polymers of acylglycerols can be formed during the heat stress of lipids. It has recently been discovered that chlorination of acylglycerols also takes places with the formation of the processing contaminants, i.e. of chloropropanol esters. In 2001, the European Commission’s Scientific Committee for Food … [Read more…]
The quality of game meat is significantly influenced by the way in which the animal is treated after killing. The recommended way of treating mallard ducks is complete evisceration of the organs of the body cavity. The hygiene quality of meat may be assessed on the basis of changes in biogenic amine concentrations, an increase … [Read more…]
Taeniosis recorded in the last months belongs to zoonotic diseases. Consumption of raw or undercooked pork and beef has a key role in its development. This article sumarizes main characteristic of tapeworms, their life cycle, survival of cysticerci in cattle and pig tissues and preventive measures which significantly reduce the risk for final consumers. Download … [Read more…]
Viruses (particularly noroviruses and hepatitis A virus) are important causes of growing numbers of foodborne diseases. They are highly resistant to environmental conditions and can persist for extended periods in the environment and in food. The principal sources of viral contamination of food include human or animal faeces and untreated sewage, infected food handlers and … [Read more…]
During the performance of microbiological analyses, important groups of microorganisms whose action may have a significant influence on the quality of chilled beef meat stored aerobically and vacuum-packed were monitored in samples of beef on days 1, 3, 7 and 14. Samples of beef rump (musculus semimembranosus) and sirloin (musculus longissimus thoracis et lumborum) from … [Read more…]
This study focused on the comparison and characterisation of Escherichia coli ( E. coli) isolates obtained from the meat of slaughtered animals (n = 34) and from raw cow’s milk (n = 33). Resistance to important antimicrobial substances and the presence of virulence factors were determined. Resistance to antimicrobials was tested using a disk diffusion … [Read more…]
Campylobacteriosis is one of the most frequent alimentary infections in humans in Europe. The numbers of reported infections have exceeded those of salmonellosis for several years. These infections are caused by thermotolerant species of the genus Campylobacter, particularly Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli. The main sources of Campylobacter infections in humans are poultry and poultry … [Read more…]
The microorganisms most commonly involved in meat spoilage are Pseudomonas spp., the Enterobacteriaceae family, lactic acid bacteria and the Brochothrix thermosphacta. The factors that are considered to have the main effect on the speed of spoilage and the shelf life of fresh meat are intrinsic factors (initial number of psychrotrophs present on the meat surface, … [Read more…]