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

Need for Fast, Real-time, Non-destructive WHC Methods

For years, researchers have been seeking the do-it-all WHC method, but to date, that method has remained elusive. The methods described in Section V are extensively used to characterize meat WHC for given situations. However, very few of these methods would be considered rapid, hands-free, and with potential for providing industry with the capability to make real time classification, screening, sorting, and functionality decisions for meat raw materials.

Progress on new methodologies owes much to improved instrumentation coupled to computers with faster and better analytical capabilities than humans. Methods using near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) have been successfully used for more than 30 years, providing rapid determination of moisture, fat, and protein of many food products. About 10 years ago, similar instruments were developed for meat and meat products for chemical analyses, and these instruments are widely used today. Reports of adaptations of NIRS technology for meat WHC have considerable promise although the methodology still needs refinement to increase accuracy and precision.

Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) has potential for rapid, non-invasive quantitative analysis of the distribution and mobility of water in meat as well as to detect certain metabolic intermediates (metabonomics), which correlate to factors important for WHC. NMR analysis of water distribution and mobility correlates reasonably well (r values ≈ 0.7) to established methods for determining WHC. Metabonomic analysis, although promising, needs further investigation to demonstrate its usefulness in the meat industry.

Apart from applying metabonomics, identifying biomarkers reflecting certain meat quality traits is also being pursued by using other "omics" methods like genomics, transcriptomics, and proteomics where detailed treatment and analysis of the data are needed.