Meat tenderization by calcium chloride after osmotic dehydration

Area of Science:

• Food Science
• Meat Science
• Biochemistry

Background:

• Meat tenderness is a critical quality attribute influencing consumer acceptance.
• Osmotic dehydration is a pre-treatment method used in meat processing.
• Calcium chloride is known to affect meat protein structure.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effect of calcium chloride treatment on meat tenderness after osmotic dehydration.
• To evaluate the impact of this treatment on meat quality characteristics, including texture, water holding capacity, and microstructure.

Main Methods:

• Meat samples underwent osmotic dehydration followed by immersion in a 150 mM calcium chloride solution for 3 hours.
• Treated and untreated (control) meat samples were stored at 3–4°C for 24, 48, and 168 hours.
• Analyses included texture measurement, sensory evaluation, biochemical assays, and histological observations.

Main Results:

• Calcium chloride treatment significantly decreased meat firmness and increased tenderness scores.
• Myofibril fragmentation, I-band broadening, and Z-line disorder increased with treatment and storage time.
• Water holding capacity showed minimal changes, and histological observations revealed endomysium structure deformation.

Conclusions:

• Dipping osmotically dehydrated meat in 150 mM calcium chloride solution effectively improves tenderness.
• This method enhances meat texture through myofibrillar changes without adverse effects on water holding capacity or overall palatability.