Problems of Lipid Oxidation in Minced Meat Products for a Ready-made Meal during Cooking, Processing, and Storage

Abstract

In 2019, the market for ready-made meals in Japan has increased by 27% in the past ten years and was valued at around 10 trillion yen. Minced meat is one of the most convenient ingredients for ready-made meals because it can be used in a wide variety of dishes, either by itself, or in combination with other ingredients. Processes that are necessary to obtain minced meat increase the area in contact with air. Consequently, these processes can compromise the quality of minced meat products, which tend to be more damaged compared to chopped meat or steak. Therefore, it is necessary to select an appropriate processing method to prevent lipid oxidation in meat. Lipid oxidation is a major cause of meat deterioration. Several factors, such as the degree of unsaturation of fatty acids, exposure to light and heat, and the presence of molecular oxygen as well as pro-oxidant and antioxidant components, affect lipid oxidation. Suppressing lipid oxidation is important for inhibiting the damage to meat products. Radical scavengers donate hydrogen to lipid radicals, stop the chain reaction, and suppress the progression of lipid oxidation. Chelating agents trap metal ions, thereby inhibiting the progress of lipid oxidation. Furthermore, a combination of the two methods to suppress lipid oxidation has also been reported. In light of this, combining chelating agents with other chemicals is expected to inhibit lipid oxidation.