No abstract

A new method of preparing laboratory meat emulsions utilizing the concept of continuous-flow emulsification was developed to simulate industrial conditions. High speed centrifugation was used to separate phases of preblends and emulsions for the investigation of protein solubility Studies of the effect of water:meat ratio on the protein solubility or preblended and emulsified meat indicated that increasing water:meat ratios resulted in preblends and emulsions with larger soluble phases and lower soluble protein concentrations in the soluble phase. The effects of preblending method, temperature of meat prior to preblending, level of added water and temperature of the added water on the temperature of preblends and emulsions, protein solubility, NaCl concentration, cooked emulsion stability and firmness of the cooked emulsions were established. Temperature of the meat (-30, -10 or 0°C) accounted for the largest proportion of the variation in temperature of preblends and emulsions, protein solubility and cooked emulsion stability. Lower temperatures in preblends and emulsions were associated with the colder meat temperatures. The data indicated that emulsions prepared with -10°C meat had the poorest cooked emulsion stability as compared to those prepared with -30 and 0°C meat. Level of added water (10, 20, 30 or 40%) significantly affected the temperature of preblends, protein solubility, cooked emulsion stability and firmness of the cooked emulsions. The 10% level of added water resulted in firmer emulsions with greater cooked stability. Temperature of the added water-(0, 30, 60, or 90°C) had a significant effect on the temperature of preblends and emulsions, cooked emulsion stability and firmness of the cooked emulsions. Adding 90°C water resulted in emulsions with the poorest cooked stability while adding 0°C water resulted in firmer cooked emulsions.

(1) Total side fat (total dissected fat plus intramuscular fat) was examined in 23 bovine carcasses in four weight ranges. (2) The partition of fatty tissue between five depots revealed relative rises in intermuscular and subcutaneous depots and relative declines in intramuscular, kidney, and channel fats with increasing carcass weight. (3) Intermuscular and subcutaneous fats reached high levels relative to total side fat at different stages. Intermuscular fat rose quickly to c. 45.0% of total side fat at about 2.0 kg total side fat (c. 56 days) whilst subcutaneous fat reached 29.0% at c. 13.0 kg total side fat (c. 270 days). (4) Intramuscular fat did not show an increase relative to total side fat as carcass weight increased. Its contribution to total fat was greatest in the lightest sides and reached a minimal value at c. 13.0 kg total side fat, which it maintained thereafter. (5) All regressions of the weight of five fat depots on total side fat were highly significant (P < 0.01). (6) There appears to be a need for precise definition of fat distribution patterns in breeds and strains of cattle in order that carcasses of optimum composition might be produced.

This paper reports observations on the palatability and cooking properties of mechanically tenderized ("needled") U.S. Good grade beef cuts. Top round roasts, chuck top blade boneless roasts, top round steaks and top loin boneless steaks were evaluated. Highly significant improvements in tenderness, measured by Warner-Bratzler shear, were found in round roasts and in round and loin steaks due to mechanical tenderization. Initial and residual sensory tenderness evaluations showed a decided tenderization effect of the treatment on round steaks only. The tenderization process reduced cooking time and juiciness of round roasts and increased drip cooking losses from both types of roasts, but did not affect any of these properties of steaks. Mechanical tenderization had no influence on any of the other observed properties of beef (total and evaporation cooking losses, cooked muscle fluid content and desirability of flavor). Tests for interactions showed that the method of cooking roasts (dry heat or moist heat) did not influence the tenderness and other observed properties of mechanically tenderized beef. Similarly, except for total moisture of round steaks, mechanical tenderization of beef cuts did not alter the effects induced by a meat temperature of 80°C compared to 70°C.

Electrodeposition of coatings on metals such as beryllium, beryllium-copper, Kovar, lead, magnesium, thorium, titanium, tungsten, uranium, zirconium, and their alloys can be problematic. This is due in most cases to a natural oxide surface film that readily reforms after being removed. The procedures we recommend for plating on these metals rely on replacing the oxide film with a displacement coating, or etching to allow mechanical keying between the substrate and plated deposit. The effectiveness of the procedures is demonstrated by interface bond strengths found in ring-shear and conical-head tensile tests.