The present study investigated the effects of dry-ageing time on physicochemical quality and protein properties of porcine longissimus lumborum within 48 h of postmortem ageing. Results showed that appropriately prolonged dry-ageing time (24 and 36 h) had a positive effect on the tenderness, water-holding capacity, thermal stability and gel properties of meat, as evident from the decrease of shear force, dripping loss, cooking loss, T 2 relaxation time, enthalpy value and the increase in storage and loss modulus. Nevertheless, the excessive extension of ageing (48 h) increased the degree of protein oxidation and degradation by maintaining the lowest total sulfhydryl but the highest carbonyl content, and producing more small molecular weight protein chains (35.4, 20 and 19.6 KDa). Chemometric analysis further clarified the appropriate ageing time of desirable meat. In conclusion, dry ageing 24 and 36 h were suggested as the reasonable postmortem ageing time for porcine longissimus lumborum in China.

Beef meatball (BM) is a traditional delicious snack with rich nutrition and unique flavor, making it a preferred choice for most consumers. However, the quality of BM is easily affected by many factors, such as the processing, storage, and preservation, which limit the competitive positioning with respect to its market. Therefore, it is essential to pay attention to each step during the processing of BMs. Based on previous studies, this systematic review focuses on the effect of key processing factors (including raw materials and ingredients, beating, cooking methods, storage, and preservation) on the quality of BMs. Additionally, this study assessed the effect of each process factor on the physicochemical, sensory, nutritional, and safety attributes of BMs. Finally, the existing review will be beneficial in examining/describing the factors impacting the quality of BMs during processing, which would provide theoretical reference and scientific basis for the standardization and industrialization of BMs.

The present study investigated the effects of ultrasound (28 kHz, 60 W at 71 °C for 37 min) combined with sous-vide cooking (at 71 °C for 40, 60, 80, 100, 120 min) on the textural quality, water distribution, and protein characteristics of spiced beef. Results showed that the spiced beef treated with conventional cooking (CT) had the highest cooking loss (41.31%), but the lowest value of shear force (8.13 N), hardness (55.66 N), springiness (3.98 mm), and chewiness (64.36 mJ) compared to ultrasound-assisted sous-vide (USV) and sous-vide cooking (SV) groups. Compared with long-time thermal treatment, USV heating within 100 min enhanced the water retention of spiced beef by maintaining the lower values of cooking loss (16.64~25.76%), T2 relaxation time (242.79~281.19 ms), and free water content (0.16~2.56%), as evident by the intact muscle fibers. Moreover, the USV group had relatively lower carbonyl content, but higher sulfhydryl content compared to CT and SV groups. More protein bands coupled with a minor transformation from α-helixes to β-turns and random coils occurred in USV40~USV80. In conclusion, these results indicated that USV treatment within 100 min positively affected the textural quality and water retention of spiced beef by moderate protein oxidation.

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