Meat. Structural aspects of cooking A micro X-ray tomography study

摘要

Abstract -The present paper presents tomographic images of meat pieces obtained by x-Ray micro-CT. Besides introducing the micro CT technology in meat research, it attempts to give some insights into clarifying the 3D structure of meat fibers in the raw meat and in meat after different cooking methods, as well as discussing the role of the spatial architecture of meat fibers in the tenderness of meat. Meat pieces were analyzed with high resolution micro CT after minimal preparation. The micro CT method is currently used for exploring the full 3D structure of mineralized tissues such as bones, tendons and ligaments, as well as for studying the structure of soft tissues after heavy metal staining. For the first time this method is used for studying the meat structure. Raw pieces of meat were partially dried in the fridge for 36 hours, whereas cooked meat was scanned without any preparation following cooking. For the first time, I show in this paper the 3D structure of raw meat at room temperature and without any preparation (no chemical fixation, no extensive drying and no freezing). Meats of different origin (mainly chicken and beef) are compared. The structures of raw and cooked meat are also compared. It is shown in this work that the internal structure of different kinds of meats is different and it is implied that this structure may be an important factor in determining meat tenderness.