Meat Science最新文献

{"title":"Assessment of dietary cereal resistant starch on growth performance and slaughter traits of finishing lamb: Insight into plasma diurnal metabolic profile and fatty acid metabolism-related gene expressions","authors":"Ke Tian ,&nbsp;Hulong Yu ,&nbsp;Aldian Dicky ,&nbsp;Jiahao Shao ,&nbsp;Masato Yayota ,&nbsp;Wenming Huang ,&nbsp;Yongju Zhao","doi":"10.1016/j.meatsci.2025.110021","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.meatsci.2025.110021","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study aimed to evaluate the effects of dietary substituting cereal native starch (NS) with resistant starch (RS) on growth performances, plasma diurnal metabolic profile, and the expression of fatty acid (FA) metabolism-related genes in finishing lamb. Twenty-four male Hu lamb were assigned to either an NS group (diet containing corn NS as the sole cereal starch) or an RS group (identical formulation with NS but using retrograded corn starch as the sole cereal starch) for a 56-day finishing trial. The RS group exhibited higher body weight and average daily gain. Additionally, carcass weight, intramuscular fat, and myofibers were elevated, while shear force was reduced in RS group. The plasma concentrations of GLP-1, insulin, and cholesterol were increased in RS group. Furthermore, dietary RS significantly enriched bile acids and the primary bile acid biosynthesis pathway. Expression of FA metabolism-related genes in the liver and <em>longissimus thoracis</em> muscle increased toward TGR5 signaling, with FA synthesis, elongation, transport, and desaturation increased, while lipolysis decreased. Finally, dietary RS increased MUFA, n-3 FA, and total FA compositions in the LT muscle. In conclusion, dietary RS enhanced lamb growth performance and slaughter traits, likely by altering plasma biochemicals to activate TGR5 signaling pathway, thereby upregulating key genes involved in FA metabolism in the liver and LT muscle.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":389,"journal":{"name":"Meat Science","volume":"233 ","pages":"Article 110021"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145837153","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Influence of ultrasonic parameters on osmotic dehydration of pork loin: Effects on structure, composition, and mass transfer","authors":"Rosalía Meléndez-Pérez,&nbsp;Jonathan Coria-Hernández","doi":"10.1016/j.meatsci.2025.110011","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.meatsci.2025.110011","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The intensification of food processing using ultrasound (HIUS) has gained relevance at the industrial level due to its ability to improve process efficiency without compromising product quality. This study investigated the influence of certain HIUS parameters on the osmotic dehydration (OD) of pork loin, evaluating its impact on mass transfer, physicochemical properties, structure, and thermal behavior. Conventional OD (immersion) and with HIUS assistance were performed, varying the amplitude and duty cycle (<em>UA1</em>: 50 % – 0.5; <em>UA2</em>: 50 % – 0.8; <em>UA3</em>: 90 % – 0.5; and <em>UA4</em>: 90 % – 0.8). The results revealed that the <em>UA3</em> conditions significantly improved water loss, solute incorporation, and the diffusion coefficients of water (0.33 ± 0.06 × 10⁻¹⁰ m²/s) and solids (2.36 ± 0.01 × 10⁻¹⁰ m²/s), thus optimizing process efficiency. At the compositional level, <em>UA3</em> achieved greater dehydration (73.4 ± 1.0 %) without compromising protein content or water holding capacity. A substantial reduction in a_w was observed, going from 0.98 ± 0.03 to 0.91 ± 0.00, a key factor for OD. Scanning electron microscopy revealed a more porous microstructure with defined channels, which is associated with improved mass transfer. Thermal analysis confirmed the decrease in free water and the increase in incorporated solutes, reflected in lower enthalpies and melting temperatures. Regarding certain quality aspects, color remained stable in most treatments, and the reduction in shear force in <em>UA2</em> and <em>UA4</em> suggests an improvement in product tenderness. Taken together, these findings position HIUS as a promising technology for enhancing meat preservation, enabling faster and more efficient processes.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":389,"journal":{"name":"Meat Science","volume":"233 ","pages":"Article 110011"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145735469","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Fermentation potential of Staphylococcus saprophyticus protease in Harbin dry sausages: Protein hydrolysis, flavor profiling, and molecular docking","authors":"Yuhang Fan,&nbsp;Fangda Sun,&nbsp;Qian Chen,&nbsp;Qian Liu,&nbsp;Haotian Liu,&nbsp;Baohua Kong","doi":"10.1016/j.meatsci.2025.110025","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.meatsci.2025.110025","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study integrated metabolomics, gas chromatography–mass spectrometry, and molecular docking to investigate the fermentation potential and flavor formation mechanisms of <em>Staphylococcus saprophyticus</em> protease in Harbin dry sausage. Gel electrophoresis demonstrated that the <em>S. saprophyticus</em> protease induced a significant reduction in the band intensities of myosin heavy chain, phosphorylase, and glyceraldehyde dehydrogenase, while increasing the band intensity of myosin light chain. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy revealed that the intensities of amide A, B, I, and II bands were reduced following protease supplementation. Correspondingly, secondary structure analysis indicated increased α-helix and random coil contents, alongside decreased β-sheet and β-turn structures (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05). A total of 325 differential metabolites and 9 key volatile compounds were identified in the sausage samples. Specifically, <em>S. saprophyticus</em> protease facilitated increased proportions of taste peptides, amino acids and their derivatives, as well as acids, ketones, and esters, while lipid oxidation was moderately inhibited. Protein digestion and absorption, aminoacyl-tRNA biosynthesis, and biosynthesis of amino acids were the three most significantly enriched metabolic pathways. Molecular docking results showed that hydrogen bonding was the predominant interaction between <em>S. saprophyticus</em> protease and its target proteins (myosin heavy chain and phosphorylase). Moreover, the pH, water activity, shear force, and sensory scores of the sausages were significantly improved (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05). Both the hydrolytic activity and product quality exhibited a concentration-dependent enhancement with increasing protease levels. The optimal product quality was achieved at a <em>S. saprophyticus</em> protease addition level of 1.6 g/kg, which outperformed direct inoculation of <em>S. saprophyticus</em>.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":389,"journal":{"name":"Meat Science","volume":"233 ","pages":"Article 110025"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145861641","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Lemon co-products as functional ingredients for mortadella reformulation: Impact on shelf life, nutritional quality and sensory properties","authors":"Daniela Magalhães ,&nbsp;Clara Muñoz Bas ,&nbsp;M. Viuda-Martos ,&nbsp;J.A. Pérez-Álvarez ,&nbsp;Paula Teixeira ,&nbsp;Manuela Pintado","doi":"10.1016/j.meatsci.2025.110008","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.meatsci.2025.110008","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>High consumption of processed meats is associated with higher intakes of refined sugars, sodium, and fats, and lower intakes of phytochemicals and dietary fibres, prompting a search for healthier processed foods. Lemon by-products, which account for up to 50 % of lemon production, are rich in bioactive compounds and represent a promising functional ingredient. This study examined the effects of incorporating lemon dietary fibre (LDF) and/or lemon phenolic compound-rich extract (LPC) recovered from lemon by-products into <em>mortadella</em>. Four formulations were developed: Control (CS), LDF (3 %), LPC (1 %), and LDF (3 %) + LPC (1 %). The nutritional, technological, microbiological, phenolic content, and sensory properties of the reformulated <em>mortadellas</em> were assessed through shelf-life analysis during 28 days, with sampling at days 0, 7, 14, 21, and 28. Inclusion of LDF significantly (<em>p</em> &lt; 0.05) affected moisture, protein, and colour parameters over time. At day 0, the incorporation of LDF increased protein content (16.47 % vs 15.52 % in CS), reduced moisture (62.67 % vs 65.46 % in CS), and enhanced lightness (L* = 67.49 vs 63.62 in CS). Notably, LDF caused a significant reduction in residual nitrite levels (<em>p</em> &lt; 0.05), decreasing from 70.50 mg/kg in the control to 36.93 mg/kg at day 0, and from 35.66 mg/kg in the control to 7.85 mg/kg at day 28, indicating its potential to enhance product safety. HPLC analysis confirmed the presence of eriocitrin and hesperidin in the <em>mortadellas</em>. Formulations containing LPC, which contains vitamin C, highlight their potential as natural antioxidants to reduce lipid oxidation. Moreover, formulations containing LPC, despite the absence of sodium ascorbate, demonstrated excellent microbiological stability (&lt; 2.5 log cfu/g) over 28 days of storage. Sensory evaluation revealed strong acceptance by panellists, confirming their suitability for use in meat products. Overall, incorporating lemon co-products into <em>mortadella</em> provides a practical way to enhance shelf life, nutritional profile, and safety of processed meats.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":389,"journal":{"name":"Meat Science","volume":"233 ","pages":"Article 110008"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145788312","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Dry-aged meat quality in veal calves fed with milk whey","authors":"Lucrezia Forte ,&nbsp;Giuseppe Natrella ,&nbsp;Alessia Seccia ,&nbsp;Pasquale De Palo ,&nbsp;Igor Tomasevic ,&nbsp;Davide De Angelis ,&nbsp;David L. Hopkins ,&nbsp;Edmondo Ceci ,&nbsp;Aristide Maggiolino","doi":"10.1016/j.meatsci.2025.110018","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.meatsci.2025.110018","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study evaluated whether liquid milk whey, appropriately supplemented with protein and fat, can replace conventional milk replacer in veal calf diets without compromising carcass traits or dry-aged meat quality. Thirty-two Holstein × Belgian Blue male calves were assigned to either a milk replacer (MR) or whey-based (MW) diet from early life to slaughter. Bone-in loins were dry-aged under controlled conditions up to 42 days, and the <em>longissimus lumborum</em> was assessed for physicochemical composition, water-holding capacity (WHC), cooking loss, instrumental color (CIE <em>Lab</em>*), oxidative status (TBARS, protein carbonyls, FRAP), texture (shear force, TPA), and fatty acid (FA) profile. Productive performance and carcass traits were not adversely affected by substituting whey for milk replacer. During aging, meat from MW fed calves exhibited a lower accumulation of protein oxidation products and maintained more stable redness, consistent with higher moisture retention (higher WHC and reduced cooking losses). In contrast, meat from MW fed calves showed a greater propensity to lipid peroxidation at later aging stages, in line with its FA profile being relatively richer in unsaturated families. Texture was not penalized by diet, and the early aging window was sufficient to reduce objectively measured toughness. Taken together, these responses indicate that whey inclusion can preserve key technological attributes of veal while shifting redox behavior toward lower protein oxidation, but higher lipid susceptibility. Overall, whey—when properly formulated with concentrates and fat—represents a viable alternative to milk replacer for veal production and fits circular-economy objectives.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":389,"journal":{"name":"Meat Science","volume":"233 ","pages":"Article 110018"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145766774","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Bacterial community, protein hydrolysis, and metabolomics reveal the contribution of staphylococci to flavor of Harbin dry sausages","authors":"Yuhang Fan,&nbsp;Zhengyi Li,&nbsp;Ziyuan Zhang,&nbsp;Sitong Liu,&nbsp;Baohua Kong,&nbsp;Fangda Sun","doi":"10.1016/j.meatsci.2025.110023","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.meatsci.2025.110023","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The flavor contribution of <em>Staphylococcus vitulinus</em> A5 and <em>S. equorum</em> S2 to Harbin dry sausage is examined in this study. The addition of Staphylococcus significantly increased microbial protease activity (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05). The degradation of myosin heavy chain bands was observed in gel electrophoresis, which promoted the accumulation of peptides and free amino acids. In terms of volatile metabolites, the overall content of aldehydes and esters increased. Metabolomics results showed that amino acids, peptides and their analogues constituted the most important non-volatile metabolites. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes analysis showed that the amino acid metabolic pathway was the main pathway for Staphylococcus to produce flavor substances. Inoculation of Staphylococcus promoted the production of pleasant flavor peptides and amino acids, while reduced the formation of bitter peptides. The combination of volatile and non-volatile metabolites helped to improve flavor characteristics and ultimately promoted the improvement of sensory evaluation scores.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":389,"journal":{"name":"Meat Science","volume":"233 ","pages":"Article 110023"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145861655","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Mechanism study on ultrasonication combined with soybean 11S globulin to improve the quality and flavor compounds of low-salt lamb meat gel","authors":"Rong Bai,&nbsp;Hongqing Nie,&nbsp;Jing Xi,&nbsp;Aitmagambetova Madina,&nbsp;Lin Li,&nbsp;Huiyu Han,&nbsp;Shengqi Jiang,&nbsp;Gege Wang,&nbsp;Wu Ding","doi":"10.1016/j.meatsci.2025.110024","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.meatsci.2025.110024","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Considering the rising demand for nutritious, high-quality, low-salt minced meat products, in this study, we investigated the combined effects of soybean 11S globulin and ultrasonic treatment on the quality and flavor characteristics of low-salt minced lamb at varying salt concentrations. We found that the addition of 11S globulin alone enhanced the hardness, chewiness, and water-holding capacity of minced meat with 1 % salt concentration; however, these improvements were less pronounced when compared to samples with 2 % salt. Notably, the synergistic application of ultrasound and 11S globulin significantly increased the hardness (70.86), chewiness, water-holding capacity (86.67 %), and storage modulus (G') of low-salt lamb mince, while also markedly reducing the total juice loss. Ultrasound promoted the cross-linking and aggregation of 11S globulin and myofibrillar protein, with increased hydrophobic interactions and disulfide bonds, contributing to a denser gel network formation. Sensory evaluation indicated that low-salt minced meat treated with 30 min of ultrasound exposure received favorable consumer acceptance for sensory quality and flavor. GC–MS analysis and testing with an electronic tongue demonstrated increased contents of hexanal, 1-octen-3-ol, ethyl acetate, and 2-butanone, which are compounds associated with soybean and fruity notes, and reduced levels of nonenal (fishy smell), as well as bitter and salty tastes in the treated samples. Thus, the combination of 11S globulin and ultrasonic treatment can effectively improve both the quality attributes and flavor profile of low-salt minced lamb, offering a promising strategy for the development of healthier, low-salt meat products.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":389,"journal":{"name":"Meat Science","volume":"233 ","pages":"Article 110024"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145848704","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effect of age on the physicochemical quality of pork and fresh-style sausages from gilts and culled sows","authors":"Daniel Rodrigues Dutra ,&nbsp;Ana Veronica Lino Dias ,&nbsp;Erick Alonso Villegas-Cayllahua ,&nbsp;Mateus Roberto Pereira ,&nbsp;Érika Nayara Freire Cavalcanti ,&nbsp;Thamiris Daiane Domenici ,&nbsp;Igor Correia Lima ,&nbsp;Leticia de Mattos Machado ,&nbsp;Isabella da Luz de Souza ,&nbsp;Aline Giampietro-Ganeco ,&nbsp;Rodrigo Fortunato de Oliveira ,&nbsp;Heloisa de Almeida Fidelis ,&nbsp;Hirasilva Borba","doi":"10.1016/j.meatsci.2025.110003","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.meatsci.2025.110003","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The increasing need to optimize the utilization of meat from culled sows in the pork industry has raised interest in understanding how animal age and physiological status affect product quality. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the impact of age and physiological status (culled sows vs. replacement gilts) on the physicochemical quality of pork and fresh-style sausages. Samples from 30 female pigs (15 gilts aged 5–6 months and 15 sows culled after seven parities, ∼3.5 years), all from the same genetic background (Large White × Landrace), were analyzed using a completely randomized design. The <em>Longissimus thoracis et lumborum</em> muscle was evaluated for marbling, pH, color, water-holding capacity, cooking loss, shear force, texture profile analysis (TPA), lipid oxidation (TBARs), chemical composition, collagen, cholesterol, sarcomere length, total heme pigments, and myofibrillar fragmentation index (MFI). Meat from sows exhibited significantly higher (<em>p</em> &lt; 0.05) pH, redness (<em>a</em>*), heme pigments, marbling, cohesiveness, gumminess, chewiness, and MFI, along with lower lipid and cholesterol contents. Sausages from sow meat showed higher pH, <em>a</em>*, moisture, ash content, and firmer texture, while those from gilts presented higher lightness (<em>L</em>*), yellowness (<em>b</em>*), fat content, and TBARs, indicating greater lipid oxidation. Despite processing, sausages retained textural characteristics derived from the original meat. Although sow meat was tougher and darker, its favorable protein and fat profile supports its suitability for value-added meat products. These findings highlight the importance of considering age and physiological status when selecting raw materials for pork processing and product development.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":389,"journal":{"name":"Meat Science","volume":"233 ","pages":"Article 110003"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145735471","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Partial replacement of pork meat by yellow mealworm (Tenebrio molitor) and house cricket (Acheta domesticus) flour in frankfurters: Nutritional composition, technological traits, shelf life and sensory attributes","authors":"Violeta Žigić ,&nbsp;Milica Glišić ,&nbsp;Marija Bošković Cabrol ,&nbsp;Nataša Glamočlija ,&nbsp;Vladimir Tomović ,&nbsp;Ilija Djekić ,&nbsp;Mirjana Dimitrijević","doi":"10.1016/j.meatsci.2025.110001","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.meatsci.2025.110001","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study evaluated the impact of replacing pork meat with yellow mealworm and house cricket flour on the nutritional, technological, microbiological, sensory characteristics, and oxidation stability of frankfurters during 60 days of vacuum refrigerated storage. Four treatments were tested: a control without insect flour, 10% yellow mealworm flour, 7.5% mealworm and 2.5% house cricket flour, and 5% mealworm and 5% house cricket flour. Reformulated frankfurters showed increased protein, essential amino acids content and polyunsaturated/saturated fatty acids ratio compared to the control (<em>P</em> ≤ 0.001). Partial substitution with insect flours increased potassium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, iron, zinc, and manganese while lowering sodium content. Color was significantly affected, with reduced lightness (<em>P</em> ≤ 0.001) and redness (<em>P</em> = 0.001), and increased yellowness (<em>P</em> ≤ 0.001). The addition of insect flour significantly altered texture (<em>P</em> ≤ 0.001). Formulation did not affect total viable counts, psychrotrophic bacteria, <em>Brochothrix thermosphacta</em>, LAB, <em>Enterobacteriaceae</em>, or <em>Pseudomonas</em> spp., but led to higher levels of yeasts and molds (<em>P</em> ≤ 0.001) in flour-enriched frankfurters, while storage increased all microbial counts (<em>P</em> ≤ 0.001). Although insect addition promoted oxidation (<em>P</em> ≤ 0.001), TBARs values remained below the threshold of 2.0 mg MDA/kg. Sensory analysis showed cricket flour altered color (<em>P</em> ≤ 0.001), increased odor (<em>P</em> = 0.0002) and flavor intensity (<em>P</em> = 0.0014), reduced juiciness (<em>P</em> ≤ 0.001), and lowered overall acceptability (<em>P</em> ≤ 0.001), while 10% yellow mealworm had minimal sensory impact. Males showed greater purchase intentions for insect-enriched frankfurters (<em>P</em> = 0.001) than females.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":389,"journal":{"name":"Meat Science","volume":"232 ","pages":"Article 110001"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145615219","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Predicting salt uptake in dry-cured ham using longitudinal modeling and X-ray technology","authors":"Xavier Espuña,&nbsp;Lesly Acosta,&nbsp;Josep Anton Sánchez-Espigares","doi":"10.1016/j.meatsci.2025.109979","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.meatsci.2025.109979","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study proposes a novel approach to optimize the salting duration of dry-cured hams by integrating longitudinal data and non-invasive X-ray technology. A total of 392 green hams were monitored to quantify fat content, weight, and salt content at 5, 7, 10, 12, and 14 days of salting. A linear mixed model (LMM) was developed to predict salt uptake based on time, initial fat content, and weight loss at day 5. The model accurately predicted individualized salting durations to reach a target salt content of 3.20%, achieving an average salt content of 3.16%, standard deviation of 0.26%, and a marginal model predictive performance of <span><math><mrow><msubsup><mrow><mi>R</mi></mrow><mrow><mi>m</mi></mrow><mrow><mn>2</mn></mrow></msubsup><mo>=</mo><mn>0</mn><mo>.</mo><mn>911</mn></mrow></math></span>. By contrast, the traditional method resulted in an average salt content of 3.77% with a standard deviation of 0.61%. Compared to the traditional salting rule of 1 day per kilogram, the LMM-based approach significantly reduced variability in final salt content while maintaining high accuracy. This predictive method supports the adoption of Industry 4.0 practices in ham production, enabling data-driven decisions to improve process standardization and product quality.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":389,"journal":{"name":"Meat Science","volume":"232 ","pages":"Article 109979"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145511395","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}