Topics: Post mortem changes of meat and

inspection of fish

Submitted by:
•Fatima Azhar
•Aiman Tahir
• Mehwish Hafeez
•Maida Israr
•Abeer Basharat
•Faiz Rasool
 Topics: postmortem changes of meat

Contents:
• Definition
• Decline in pH
• Development of rigor mortis
• Resolution of rigor mortis
• Changes in Meat
 Postmortem of meat
• ‘’The time period between slaughtering of animal to
its consumption.’’
 Decline in pH :
There are three sources of ATP from where ,muscles gets energy
1. Glucose
2. Glycogen
3. Free Fatty Acid

After Slaughtering the animal muscle gets energy from Glycogen .

In this process the Glycogen is converted to Lactic Acid .
Glycogen Lactic Acid
The pH drops from 7.5 to 5.5
 Development of Rigor Mortis
“Rigor mortis is the stiffing of the body after death due to formation of
permanent cross-bridges in the muscle between actin and myosin”
• The period of time during which the muscle is relatively extensible and
elastic is called ‘’Delay phase of Rigor Mortis.’’
• Rigor mortis is an irreversible muscle contraction.
 Resolution of Rigor Mortis
• In the muscle there are proteolytic enzymes called cathepsins are held in
an active state in organelle called lysosomes .
• These enzymes begins to degrade the protein structure of the muscles . In
addition the muscle protein may be subjected to denaturation due to pH
drop.
Changes involved in Postmortem of Meat.

• Protein denaturation
• Texture changes
• Change in Flavor
 Inspection of Fish
Contents:
• How Fish goes Bad
• Factors influencing Freshness
• Rigor Mortis
• Autolytic changes
• Bacterial changes
• Histamine
 Fish inspection:
• Definition:
‘Inspection of fish and fishery products by a fishery officer for the purpose of
assessing the quality of fish by inspecting sanitary and hygienic conditions
and the physical, chemical and bacteriological examination of fish.’
 How fish goes bad
• If fish is slimy or milky consisting a pungent ,fishy
smell is also an indication that the fish is no longer
fresh.
 ‘’Factors influencing freshness’’
• Following are the factors affecting fish freshness.

1. Composition.
2. Method of Catching .
3. Post harvest treatment.
4. Processing.
 Rigor Mortis in Fish’’
• Rigor in Fish is due to complicated chemical changes of a fish after death
the process is not yet completed and research is still going on but it is also
known that factors like physical condition of fish and temperature at
which is kept at death.

• Rigor mortis in fish is generally starts at the tail and the muscle harden
gradually along the body towards the head until the whole fish is quite
stiff.
 Autolysis changes in Fish ‘’
• “ The destruction of cells or tissues by their own enzymes especially those is released by
lysosomes’’.
• Autolysis is a self – digestion process.

• There are two types of fish spoilage .

1. Bacterial
2. Enzymatic
 Enzymes
1. Atp-ase.
2. Myokinase.
3. Amp deaminase.
4. Phosphohydrolase.
5. Nucleoside Phosphorylase.
6. Lnosine nucleoside.
7. Xanthine oxidase.
 Bacterial changes .
• These are responsible for spoilage of fish.
• Temporant class of spoilage organism are pseudomonas acinobacter
aeromonas and moraxella.
• Flesh loses its quality like juiciness firm texture etc,
• Changes it into a product that become soft with loss of flavour and
discoloration.
 Purchasing parameters on wholesale:
1. Fish having more oil content are available on high prices. Because of
health beneficial omega-3 fatty acids.
2. Gills of fresh fishes are bright red or pink in color.
3. There should be bulging eyes.
4. Appear freshly cut and moist flesh.
 Fish handling and storage:

1. It should be stored at very low temperature (40 degree Fahrenheit) or on

ice, for 2 to 3 days.
2. It can be given moist heat or dry heat.