Fundamentals of Water Holding Capacity (WHC) of Meat

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
   1. Objectives
   2. Learning goals
   3. Teacher page
2. List of Abbreviations used in this Learning Resource
3. Section I: Introduction and Significance of WHC
   1. What is WHC?
   2. Overview of Proteins, Fat, pH and Water and WHC
   3. Compartments for Holding Water in Meat
   4. Activity - Section I
4. Section II: Major Factors Affecting WHC
   1. Role of Animal Genetics and WHC
   2. Role of Pre-harvest Handling of Pigs on WHC
   3. Conversion of Muscle-to-Meat Issues and WHC
   4. Muscle Extensibility and Rigor Mortis
   5. Activity - Section II
5. Section III: Mechanism for Holding of Water in Pork
   1. Concepts for holding of Water in Meat
   2. How is Water Held in Meat?
   3. Graphic Representation of WHC and Important Concepts
   4. Examples of Extrinsic Factors Affecting WHC of Processed Meats
   5. Activity - Section III
6. Section IV: Fundamental Science of Water Holding Capacity
   1. Expanding the Knowledge of WHC
   2. The Assignment
   3. Activity - Section IV
7. Section V: Methods for Determining WHC
   1. Complexity of Measuring WHC
   2. What Moisture Categories of Water need to be Measured?
   3. Video: Great Visualization of four WHC Methods
   4. Methods for Measuring WHC of Meat
   5. Activity - Section V
8. Section VI: Recent Advances in Measuring & Monitoring WHC
   1. Need for Fast, Real-time, Non-destructive WHC Methods
   2. Potential Fast and Non-destructive Methods
   3. Activity - Section VI
9. Selected References related to WHC
10. References: Q-Pork Chain & Other Instrumental Methodology for WHC
11. Completion
    1. Comments
    2. Self assessment
    3. Evaluation
12. Acknowledgement

Learning goals

After working through this resource, employees in industry should be able to:

• Describe the economic and managerial significance of WHC.
• Define water holding capacity and list the compartments in meat where water may be held.
• How does the restriction of water movement of water differ between the three compartments where water is located in meat?
• List and explain the inter-relationships of the major factors affecting WHC including those due to genetics, animal production, ante-mortem handling of pigs, chilling, processing methods, and product packaging systems.
• Compare and evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of methods that measure WHC.
• Describe the need for new methods for determination of WHC that are faster and can be used to make real time changes in fabrication and processing in a meat operation.

After working through this resource, students in higher education should be able to:

Section I:

1. Describe the technological, economic and managerial significance of WHC to a pork company's operation.
2. Define water holding capacity.
3. List the compartments in meat where water may be held.
4. Rank the compartments of water for strength of water restriction.

Section II:

1. List and explain the inter-relationships of the major factors affecting WHC including those due to genetics, animal production, ante-mortem handling of pigs, chilling, processing methods, and product packaging systems.

Section III:

1. Using meat science terminology, define some of the key words and concepts that relate to understanding of WHC.
2. Explain how water is held in pork and pork products.
3. Analyze ways that good management along the pork chain can help minimize undesirable effects on pork's WHC.
4. Compare how the WHC of pork products is inter-related to other chemical, physical, and sensory properties of the products.

Section IV:

1. Contrast and compare how the fundamental chemical and physical traits of skeletal muscle may be affecting WHC and how these "theoretical" aspects can be applied to pork operations.

Section V:

1. Explain why measuring WHC is so difficult and why using more than one WHC method may be necessary as a follow up measure.
2. Compare how the bag drip loss method differs from the filter paper press method.
3. Compare the advantages, disadvantages and the physical principles of 2 of the more commonly used methods for measuring WHC.
4. To become familiar with the various ways WHC is expressed and to be able to interpret values of WHC relative to the meaning and desirability of WHC.

Section VI:

1. Rationalize why there is an interest in more rapid, non-destructive, on-line methods of measuring WHC and evaluate the potential for two examples of developing methodology.
2. List and describe some emerging analytical methods and approaches to measuring WHC.
3. Compare and contrast how the methods described in Section V differ from methods described in Section VI.