Emerging Technologies in Meat Processing

Nauman Khalid
Emerging Technologies in Food Processing
Lecture # 2
Meat Processing
 High Pressure Processing
• High-pressure processing (HPP) is a technology relying on the
transfer of pressure by the means of liquid media (Simonin et al., 2012)

• It has been known for decades that pressures in the range of 400-
600 MPa are able to neutralize bacterial activity and pasteurize food
(Smelt, 1998)

• HPP foreseen as “nonthermal,” temperature variations during

processing should be considered.

• The effect on the product depends on various processing

parameters: pressure applied, temperature, time, and product
composition (quality).

• HPP  improvement of food safety and shelf-life extension when

applied to food products  Tenderizing studies ??
 HPP  Meat Industry
• HPP is applied
• for preservation and shelf-life extensions (Guillou et al., 2016)
• meat tenderization (Bouton et al., 1977; Morton et al., 2017)
• change of protein properties (Warner et al., 2017)
• microbial inactivation (Guillou et al., 2016).

The change in visual appearance of fresh meat (due to the denaturation

of myoglobin) is not considered to be satisfying for the industry or
appealing to customers, limiting the application of HPP to ready-meal
products (Warner et al., 2017).

HPP requires relatively high costs for initial infrastructure and further
processing, associated with batch-based approach

4
HPP layout
HPP layout
HPP Future
 HPP on Physical Properties of Meat
HPP changes the structure and function of proteins mostly through the
modification of noncovalent bonds (Warner et al., 2017)

HPP can either be applied at low or high temperatures, with differential effects on
meat proteins and texture.

Temperature-denatured proteins tend to aggregate in forms which remain stable

after cooling.

Whereas pressure impacts more on the dissociation and unfolding of proteins,

with refolding and reassociation in new structures once the pressure is removed
(Smeller, 2002;Warner et al., 2017).
If fresh meat is cooked (high temperature, no HPP) it becomes tough and hard to
chew, while the same meat after the HPP treatment at high temperatures results in
greater tenderness after cooking. The tenderness is achieved due to the combined
effect of accelerated proteolysis, increased fracturing of myofibrillar proteins, and muscle
structure due to greater stability of collagen , increased protein solubilization, aggregation of
myofibrillar structure and reduced water loss
HPP on Improvement in Meat Products
Safety
• HPP effects on microbial safety of meat depend also on several factors.
• microorganisms
• type of food matrix
• can depend on the strain type

• Eukaryotic microorganisms (e.g., protozoa and foodborne parasites) are more

easily destructed than molds and yeasts

• Bacteria and spores remain the most resistant ones increase in level of pressure,
pressurization, depressurization, and holding time increased the rate of
inactivation

• HPP is known to be effective against Escherichia coli in different meat products

when pressure reached levels higher than 500 MPa

• Listeria monocytogenes inactivation was dependent on the type of food matrix

and varied from complete inactivation to significant reduction
HPP on Improvement in Meat Products
Safety -2
• Other meat spoilage microorganisms (L. monocytogenes, Salmonella
enterica, Staphylococcus aureus, Yersinia enterocolitica, and
Campylobacter jejuni) could be inactivated in a range of 2.7 log10
CFU/g to undetectable levels depending on the increase of high-
pressure to the levels of 600 MPa

• The combined use of high-pressure and temperature of 50-60oC is

efficient against most of the pathogens and spoilage
microorganisms in food

• At the same time, the lowering of the treatment temperature, to

subzero levels or lower than -18oC, can induce the inactivation of
of Citrobacter freundii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Listeria innocua, and
L. monocytogenes
HPP on Qualities of Meat Products

• Rancid taste and off-flavors in meat products can be caused by lipid

oxidation or after some storage time (500-600 MPa)
• membrane damages in muscles
• catalyzation of lipid oxidation due to the release of iron ions
• rupture of adipocytes in beef patties
• Along the preservation properties HPP can enhance the
perception of saltiness in processed products
• HPP change color of raw meat, increasing the lightning (whitening) and
decreasing the red index
• The effect is observed at the levels higher than 200 MPa
• Lightening of meat is causing either protein coagulation or globulin
denaturation and heme group displacement or release
• decrease of red index in meat is associated with oxidation of ferrous
myoglobin to ferric metmyoglobin
Shockwave Technology
 Shockwave technology
• Shockwave technology (SW) relies on instant development of
explosive shockwaves with pressure up to 1 GPa in fractions of
milliseconds

• Tenderising meat is a promising initial food processing application.

• A shockwave is a mechanical pressure pulse. It can be generated

either by detonating explosives (the first systems developed during
the 90s) or discharging electrical currents under water (current second
generation).  potential risks associated with contamination, safety
issues and technical challenges

• Currently, research literature reveals a number of ways to generate

shockwaves: piezoelectric, electromagnetic, electrothermal or
electrodetonation methods
Shockwave technology

https://www.csiro.au/en/Research/AF/Areas/Food-manufacturing/Making-safer-
foods/Shockwave
Effects of Shockwave on Physical Properties of
Meat
• SW can be performed through two main mechanisms:
• (1) physical disruption of muscle structure
• (2) enhanced proteolysis of structural muscle proteins

• The improvement in tenderness is usually observed in the range of 10-70% and is

well documented in trials for the most abundant meats (beef, pork, lamb, turkey,
chicken)
Effects of Shockwave on the Safety of Meat Products

• The application of SW technology for inactivation of microorganisms

remains unclear due to conflicting results from different studies

• Report 2-4.5 log inactivation in beef and sausages

• Reduction of Trichinella spiralis in pork

• L. monocytogenes reduction in meat and frankfurters. However, no

effect was indicated for the treatment of Salmonella inactivation in
minced chicken or the inactivation of E. coli in ground beef

• Moreover, variations in conditions of treatment can affect the efficiency

of the SW treatment for microorganisms’ inactivation
 Ohmic heating for meat processing
• The naming of the ohmic heating (OH) technology is based on the
ohmic resistance  it is possible that electrical energy is converted into
heat energy directly in the product

• Foreseen fields of application include cooking, pasteurization, heating,

and thawing
 Effect of OH on Meat Properties
• During the cooking process, meat loses water and changes its
texture and taste. The faster it is heated to a certain temperature,
the lower the loss of cooking and the juicier the meat is.

• products heated with electricity have a slightly lighter and more uniform
color compared to traditionally heated products

• Inactivation of Enterococcus faecalis in ham sausage. OH with a core

temperature of 80oC resulted in a reduction of 9.06 log10 CFU/g within
13.78 min.
Ohmic heating
 Pulse electric field for meat processing
• PEF as a nonthermal food processing technology to preserve the
original fresh-like quality of foods

• This technology could alter the microstructure of foods that open

various applications for muscle foods such as meat and fish.

• Several studies have shown that PEF has an ability to improve meat
tenderness, improve the subsequent drying process, and accelerate brine
intake during cured meat processing

• The increase in cell permeability  electroporation after PEF

processing plays a major role in its ability to tenderize meat. For the
pore formation, critical electric field strengths of 0.5 kV/cm or greater
is required for animal tissues
 Pulse electric field for meat processing-2
• Cell membrane disruption release the calcium ions that later activate
calpain enzymes which are responsible enzymes for meat
tenderization  short fiber

• high PEF intensity may cause some temperature rise and changes in
water holding capacity of meat that can be negatively effect on meat
tenderness as well
PEF technology