Evaluation of Heat Treatment of Turkey Breast Meat by Biochemical Methods

A biochemical method for the verification of heat treatment of turkey breast meat was developed. The activities of 12 enzymes and residual soluble proteins were studied following heat treatment at various temperatures for different durations. The enzymes aspartate aminotransferase, creatine kinase, malic dehydrogenase, lactic dehydrogenase, isocitric dehydrogenase, and aldolase, showing initial preheating high specific activities, were shown to be valuable markers for the evaluation of heat treatment. Other enzymes, showing low specific activities were of little diagnostic value. Enzyme activities decreased in response to the maximum temperature levels and duration in which the meat was treated. The activities of the enzymes creatine kinase, malic dehydrogenase, lactic dehydrogenase, and isocitric dehydrogenase as well as the residual soluble proteins were shown to be good markers for the evaluation of heat treatment of fresh meat. Soluble residual proteins could also be estimated with commercial test strips. The use of hemoglobin-myoglobin oxidative activity was tried and shown to be a potential test using existing commercial test strips.