Mecanismo de acción y efecto de la suplementación nutricional con selenio en la calidad de la carne

Abstract

This thesis focuses on pig meat. Among the quality characteristics that define it, the onegenerating more issues while sold as fresh meat or processed products is its water holdingcapacity and concomitant drip loss. Despite its high moisture content (estimated circa 75%)meat has a solid appearance, among others due to the high water holding capacity of itsstructure. Nevertheless, its juicy shiny aspect is due to the superficial water so it is essentialthat the water is not fully restrained inside the meat as it would render it dry and dark.Therefore, there is a delicate balance where any dissadjustment in any direction might renderundesired consequences.The Water Holding Capacity (WHC) can be defined as the ability of meat to retain water aftercutting and/or the application of some force (1) while the drip loss is the fluid which can beexpelled from a piece of meat without mechanical force other than gravity (2). It is estimatedthat over 50% of the pig meat produced has unacceptable high drip (over 3%) (3, 4). NowadaysSpain produces and slaughters about 40 million pigs per year. This provides about 275 millionboneless loin which cost about 6 €/kg, estimating a loss of 25 million € a year as weight loss,limiting the drip to the loin. Giving that drip contains approx 112 mg of protein per ml (5). Thisalso means the waste of 500.000 kg of valuable sarcoplasmic proteins.The purpose of the thesis is to evaluate the use of antioxidants and specifically organicselenium as a mean to optimize the WHC of the meat reducing drip loss, while maintaining itsorganoleptic attibutes. This should enable us to obtain an attractive appearance minimizingexcessive losses while improving the technical properties of meat...