Mechanical properties of meat

Area of Science:

• Food Science
• Materials Science
• Biomechanics

Background:

• Traditional methods for determining meat mechanical properties are empirical and outdated.
• Limitations exist in current methods for analyzing meat's complex anisotropic and composite structure.
• Understanding meat texture perception requires analyzing myofibre and connective tissue contributions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review and discuss limitations of current empirical methods for meat mechanical property determination.
• To explore analytical approaches for characterizing myofibre and connective tissue properties.
• To investigate fracture mechanisms influencing meat texture perception.

Main Methods:

• Review of recently developed research on analytical mechanical testing under controlled conditions.
• Focus on the influence of strain direction and amplitude for characterizing myofibres and connective tissue.
• Brief presentation of image analysis and ultrasonic methods for studying connective tissue distribution.

Main Results:

• Myofibre resistance can be determined under low strain conditions in raw or slightly cooked meat.
• Connective tissue resistance determination typically requires large strain tests.
• Cooking-induced collagen contraction complicates separate structure analysis, but different strain directions offer partial solutions.

Conclusions:

• Analytical mechanical testing under controlled conditions offers a more precise approach to understanding meat properties.
• Strain conditions significantly influence the characterization of myofibres and connective tissue.
• Further research, including image analysis and ultrasonics, is needed to understand the role of connective tissue distribution.