Measure the texture of meat

The texture of meat plays a pivotal role in determining its eating quality, directly influencing consumer preference and satisfaction. A tender steak, for example, is often more sought after than a tough one, making texture synonymous with freshness and overall desirability in many consumers' eyes.

Maintaining a consistent texture in meat products is a testament to consistent quality in production. Variabilities in texture can arise from changes in animal diet, health conditions, or even post-slaughter processing. As meat ages or undergoes different cooking and processing techniques, its texture can change, serving as an indicator of spoilage, degradation, or the effect of the chosen preparation method.

The measurement issues are, however, different for each type of meat. Deli-style meats need to balance the binders and texturising ingredients to obtain perfect firmness, cohesiveness and low adhesiveness so that they can be easily cut. Formed meats need to balance moderate firmness with strong cohesion since these products are usually handled roughly but must remain whole. Many formed meats are often breaded so crispness is also a major textural attribute.

Analysing the texture of meat offers invaluable insights for both producers and consumers, ensuring a balance between quality assurance and palatability.

A Texture Analyser can be applied to meat texture measurement in various ways, including:

• Texture profiling: From the tenderness of steak to the firmness of sausages or the juiciness of burgers, meat products have distinct textural criteria. A Texture Analyser allows these attributes to be quantified and standardised.
• Quality assurance and control: Consistency in texture is a hallmark of quality, especially for branded or processed products. Regular texture testing guarantees that every batch of meat product matches established quality standards.
• Impact of processing conditions: Understanding how different cooking methods, marination techniques, or other processing methods affect the fish/meat's texture. Whether it's smoking, grilling, frying, or any other method, processing can drastically change the texture of fish or meat. A Texture Analyser helps in quantifying these changes.
• Optimising formulations: The change of ingredient rations or the inclusion of binders, fillers, or other additives in processed meat can affect the final texture. The Texture Analyser assists manufacturers in tweaking formulations to achieve the ideal mouthfeel and consistency.
• Alternative ingredient analysis: With the increasing popularity of plant-based or lab-grown meats, understanding their textural properties in comparison to traditional meats is vital.
• Sensory feedback integration: Merging quantitative texture data with sensory feedback provides a comprehensive perspective on product quality and areas for improvement.
• Comparative analysis: Comparing the texture of meat substitutes with traditional meats or when developing alternative seafood products, texture analysis can help in formulating a product that is close to the real thing.
• Shelf life assessment: Over time, the texture of meat products can change due to factors like moisture loss or enzymatic activity. Texture analysis offers insights into shelf life and aids in optimising storage conditions.
• Packaging interactions: Vacuum-sealing, modified atmosphere packaging, or other methods might impact meat product texture, particularly in terms of moisture content. Analysing this ensures appropriate packaging choices.

In summary, a Texture Analyser is indispensable for the meat industry, from R&D phases to production and quality control. By offering precise and actionable texture data, it ensures that meat products consistently meet consumer expectations, cementing brand loyalty and achieving market success.

The texture of meat and meat products directly influences consumer satisfaction, with each product type having specific textural attributes that are considered desirable.

Here are the most relevant textural properties associated with meat:

These measurements, among others, help in understanding the intricate textural properties of meat, which are crucial for both producers and consumers in evaluating quality, processing methods, and overall acceptability.

Whether its providing the solution for AHBD to measure the shear force of meat quality or offering a means for the University of Arkansas to recommend the optimum poultry tenderness measurement, a Texture Analyser is adaptable and flexible in its application to measure the bespoke texture of your product and then enable its quality to be controlled in your manufacturing to guarantee consistency and customer satisfaction.

With deep expertise in meat texture analysis, we’re well equipped to support innovation in this sector – just ask our customers.

A wide range of probes and attachments an be integrated with our instruments, allowing testing to be precisely adapted to the material or product under evaluation. Applications include penetration tests to compare pate processing, cutting tests to assess meat toughness or a Kramer Shear Cell to measure chicken strip firmness.

Over the years, we have collaborated with leading scientists and organisations to design and refine attachments that meet highly specific testing requirements such as the Meullenet-Owens Razor Shear Blade for poultry tenderness measurement and the USDA Standard Warner-Bratzler Blade for meat testing.

The examples provided illustrate a selection of specialised attachments and commonly performed measurements within this application area. This list is not exhaustive; a wide range of additional options are available for the testing of meat products. All instruments in the Texture Analyser range can be used to perform the tests described.

Exponent Connect software includes a comprehensive range of test methods for meat and meat products, all instantly accessible at the click of a button. We streamline your texture testing process, ensuring faster access to methods and ready-to-use analysis files for your product properties.

The meat and meat product industry is another segment that has seen significant innovations and changes. Here are some of the newer ingredient and product ideas in meat and meat product research, development, and production and a typical academic reference to show how the Texture Analyser has already being applied: