Determination of TPA Texture Properties of Meat Products
Overview
Meat products are an indispensable source of protein in daily diet, covering various categories such as sausages, hams, and cooked meats. Their texture properties directly determine the eating taste and consumer acceptance. Indicators like hardness, springiness, and chewiness are not only the core basis for product quality grading but also key references for production process optimization and formula adjustment, playing a crucial role in ensuring the stability of product quality.
Experimental Purpose
By accurately determining the TPA (Texture Profile Analysis) texture indicators of meat products, the taste characteristics and processing adaptability of products can be scientifically evaluated, providing data support for production quality control and product upgrading. This test refers to industry general testing specifications and NY/T1180-2006 "Method for Determination of Meat Tenderness". The used ST-Z16 texture analyzer, with high-precision sensors and multi-mode testing functions, can realize automatic and accurate detection of meat product texture indicators.
Experimental Samples and Instruments
- Experimental Samples: Sausages (or hams, cooked meats, and other meat products)
- Experimental Instruments:
1. ST-Z16 texture analyzer (equipped with a cylindrical compression probe)
2. Sample processing tools such as samplers and knives
3. Cleaning reagents and auxiliary accessories
Operational Steps
1. Sample Pretreatment: Peel off the casing of the meat product (if applicable), and cut it into standard cuboid samples of 10mm×10mm×20mm with a knife to ensure the sample has a regular shape and no bubbles or impurities.
2. Instrument Preparation: Connect the power supply of the ST-Z16 texture analyzer, start the dedicated software, and enter the operating system after confirming the connection is normal when the online indicator light flashes.
3. Parameter Setting: Fill in information such as sample name, number, and tester in the system parameter interface; select the TPA test mode, set the trigger force to 5g, deformation to 50%, pre-test/test/post-test speed to 60mm/min, and interval time to 1s.
4. Sample Testing: Place the pretreated sample in the center of the instrument test bench, adjust the probe position to an appropriate height, click the "Test" button on the main interface, the instrument will automatically start the test, and real-time display force-time and force-displacement curves.
5. Continuous Detection: After completing a set of experiments, the instrument will automatically return to its original position and display the results. For multiple parallel tests, there is no need to shut down the machine; simply replace the sample and click "Continue Detection", and the test data will be automatically classified and stored.
Data Analysis and Result Evaluation (Experimental Results)
Through the detection and analysis of 3 groups of parallel meat product samples by the ST-Z16 texture analyzer, the results show that: the hardness of the samples is 280-320g, springiness is 85%-90%, chewiness is 220-250g·mm, cohesiveness and resilience are stably between 0.75-0.80 and 0.30-0.35 respectively, and all indicators meet the industry taste standards for high-quality meat products. The instrument measurement error is controlled within ±1%, with good data repeatability. It also supports automatic printing of test curves and results, and historical data traceability, providing efficient and reliable technical support for quality control of meat product manufacturers.