Vitamin E and meat quality

Abstract

Lipid oxidation is a major cause of deterioration in the quality of muscle foods. Oxidation leads to the production of off-flavours and odours, reduction of polyunsatu- rated fatty acids, fat-soluble vitamins and pigments, lower consumer acceptability, and the production of compounds such as peroxides and aldehydes which may be toxic. Lipid oxidation is a free-radical-mediated process which occurs in raw muscle, and especially in cooked muscle. The process is believed to be initiated at the membrane level owing to the oxidation of the highly unsaturated membrane lipids. Modern trends towards convenience foods have resulted in an increase in the production of precooked and restructured meat products which are very susceptible to lipid oxidation. In addition, dietary recommendations favouring the consumption of less saturated fat have led to an increase in demand for foods containing higher levels of unsaturated fatty acids. However, such foods are very susceptible to peroxidation, and present the food technologist with new challenges