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This study aimed to determine the effect of wet ageing time (4, 14 and 21 days) on the quality of sous-vide cooked beef products. The research material consisted of longissimus lumborum muscles obtained from the carcasses of Polish Holstein-Friesian bulls (n = 9, average age at slaughter 22 months). The meat was wet-aged at 4 ± 1 °C for 4, 14 and 21 days post-mortem. The analyses were conducted on uncooked samples (colour and pH) and after the sous-vide cooking (60 °C, 4 h) (colour, cooking loss, Warner–Bratzler shear force, texture profile analysis and sensory assessment). It was found that ageing decreased redness, yellowness and chroma (p < 0.05) in the cross-section area of sous-vide cooked beef. The values of shear force, hardness, springiness and chewiness decreased during ageing (p < 0.05). The samples were scored similarly in sensory assessment, except for tenderness which was scored higher (p < 0.01) in the products obtained from 14 and 21 d aged beef compared to 4 d aged samples. Overall, the findings highlighted that, also in the production of sous-vide cooked beef, longissimus lumborum muscles should be aged for at least 14 days. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Featured Application: The presented research results can be used to improve the thermal processing methods of goose meat to obtain products with optimal quality characteristics and nutritional value, both in gastronomic practice and in the industrial production of convenient foods. This study was conducted to compare the quality characteristics of White Kołuda goose breast muscle products, heated using the sous vide (SV) and the convection–steam oven (OV) methods. The qualitative analysis included instrumental evaluation of texture and colour parameters and the content of histidine dipeptide anserine. The research material consisted of breast muscles without skin, heated using the sous vide (SV) method at 65 °C for 4 h and 10 h and in a convection–steam oven (OV) in a steam environment at 80 °C and 90 °C (to obtain the final temperature of 65 °C in the geometric centre of meat pieces). Extending the heating time using the SV method and increasing the temperature in OV resulted in increased hardness, cohesiveness and chewiness. The use of heat treatment resulted in a significant reduction in the initial anserine content. A greater anserine reduction was found in SV samples compared to OV. The SV processing time did not significantly differentiate the dipeptide content, nor did the temperature used in OV processing. Pectoral muscles heated using the sous vide method were characterised by higher values of the parameters L* and b* and the hue angle (h) compared to OV processing, in which the value of the a* parameter was higher. The low-temperature processing methods (SV 65 °C/4 h and OV 80 °C) of goose breast meat allowed for obtaining products with similar textural characteristics: hardness, adhesiveness, elasticity and chewiness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During storage, raw meat is exposed to many external factors, which cause visible changes on the surface of the meat and which affect its water-holding capacity. This study aimed to determine the effect of oxygen content in modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) used for storing fresh pork on the colour, pH, value and water-holding capacity during refrigerated storage. The study also analysed the dynamics of changes in colour using the colour difference (ΔE) coefficient and sensory quality. In the study, slices of pork loin were packed in MAP using the following gas compositions: 55% O2/40% CO2/5% N2 and 75% O2/20%, CO2/5% N2; they were then stored for 15 days at a temperature of 4 °C. The colour of pork stored in MAP was significantly affected by time, but not by the proportion of oxygen. During storage, the meat's lightness (L*), yellowness (b*), chroma, and hue angle increased, whereas its redness index (a*/b*) decreased. Significant differences in colour between freshly packed and stored samples were noted after days 7 and 9 in MAP containing 55% and 75% oxygen, respectively. The values of pH, free water, and purge and cooking loss were not affected by gas concentration but changed over time. Lowering the oxygen content from 75% to 55% in MAP opens the possibility of reducing the oxygen demand from the meat industry without compromising the quality of the meat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The prevalence of staphylococci in the environment of humans, including food, may lead to the production of toxins and food poisoning in consumers. Additionally, staphylococci constitute a reservoir of genes determining antibiotic resistance. The study aimed to compare the antibiotic resistance and biofilm-forming ability of staphylococci isolated from bulk tank milk and assess the occurrence of animal-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. The study consisted of isolation of strains from cow milk, confirming their belonging to Staphylococcus sp. and S. aureus, investigation of the presence of a gene determining the production of coagulase, and genes determining resistance to β-lactams, tetracyclines, vancomycin, natural penicillins, and aminopenicillins, as well as virulence genes determining biofilm production. There were 56 bacterial strains isolated, which belong to Staphylococcus spp. All isolates showed resistance to amoxicillin, erythromycin, and tetracycline. The lowest resistance was demonstrated for vancomycin (48.2%). The mecA gene was not detected in any of the isolates and there was no positive reaction to the PB2 protein, which indicates that none of the isolated strains was methicillin resistant. Only 26.8% of isolated strains did not show the ability to produce biofilm. Special attention should be paid to the health of dairy cows and the supervision of the use of antibiotics in the dairy herd environment because, even in milk from healthy cows, there is a real risk of the occurrence of multi-drug resistant bacteria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the study was to determine the impact pike fishing season (before spawning in fall (group A) and after spawning in spring (group B)) had on the slaughter yield and fillet fatty acid profile. The slaughter yield of fillets with skin and skinned fillets from the group B fish was significantly lower (by approximately 7.5% of body weight). The fatty acid profile of the fish meat from the groups examined differed significantly. The fillets of pike caught before spawning were dominated by unsaturated fatty acids (UFA), while those from fish caught after spawning had mainly saturated fatty acids (SFA). The share of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) in the fillets of fish that had spawned was sixfold lower, and the n-3 PUFA differences were nearly ninefold. The content of eicosapentaenoic (EPA) and docosahexaenoic (DHA) fatty acids in fillets of fish that had spawned was ninefold lower than in those that had not yet done so. Consequently, the ratio of n-3 PUFA/n-6 PUFA in pike from group A was over three times higher than that in the fish that had spawned (2.61 vs 0.82). Fillets from pike that have spawned are a significantly poorer source of valuable fatty acids for consumers.

The aim of this study was to determine the influence of age and sex on carcass characteristics and the chemical composition of the longissimus thoracis et lumborum (LTL) muscle in wild boars (Sus scrofa). Carcass quality parameters varied significantly depending on age and sex, whereas the protein and collagen contents in the muscle were affected by animal age. The carcasses of male yearlings and adults were characterised by the highest processing suitability, which can be attributed to the highest percentage of lean meat in the carcass and a moderate fat and bone content. A higher fat content was found in carcasses of females from all age groups, and a lower bone content was found in yearlings and adult females. The protein content was the highest in the LTL muscle of adult boars, and the collagen content was the highest in piglets; thus, the chemical composition of the muscle was most desirable in adult wild boars and least desirable in piglets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]