Meat

Introduction Nutrients in meat vary with animal breed, feed, season and position of meat cut.
Meat contains approximately 75 % water, 19 % protein, 5 % fat with small portion of
carbohydrates, free amino acids, dipeptides, nucleotides and minerals. Generally, low fat
contents in lean red meat, have less cholesterol level and essential vitamins and minerals.
Meat is an excellent source of protein as well as water soluble vitamins and minerals which
provide 25 % recommended dietary intake (RDI). Almost 10 % RDI is achieved from riboflavin,
pantothenic acid and selenium. The mixture of muscles (84 %), gelatin (16 %) and nitrogen has
biological value of 99 whereas biological value of beef is 92 in comparison to biological value
(100) of egg protein.

1.Water
Water is the most variable component in meat. Its contents are inversely related to the fat but in
lesser extent with ash and carbohydrates value. Water contents declines when the animal
reaches to the chemical maturity without considering the species of animal. As animal matures,
fat content increases while a significant decrease in water content occurs.This inverse
relationship does not affect the bone content occurs. This inverse relationship does not affect
the bone content. Its percentage varies from low (4.5 %) to high (64.5 %). From the kidney knob
low water containing meat is obtained whereas over the rib high fat containing meat is obtained.

2.Protein and amino acids

Protein are made up of almost 20 amino acids that may be essential and non- essential. Amino
acids have a general structural formula:Meat contains essential health promoting constituents
like protein, fats, micronutrients, and omega-3 fatty acids. Proteins play a wide range of
functions that may be structural, contractile, or enzymes which catalyze the chemical reactions.
Proteins contain carbon nitrogen, oxygen, hydrogen and sulphur compounds.

Meat and meat proteins are further divided into different fractions
: a) Sarcoplasmic Proteins
Sarcoplasmic proteins are also referred to as soluble proteins because they are extracted
through water or low ionic salt concentrations. Sarcoplasmic plasmic proteins contain
mitochondrial oxidative enzymes, flavin compounds and heme pigments. These posses
lyzozymes or nucleoproteins which play a vital role in degrading the waste material and are also
helpful in synthesis and deposition of proteins.

. b) Mayofibrillar Proteins The major component of meat muscle is myofibril that covers meat
about 70 % by volume. Three dimensional structures of filament of the myofibrils provide an
open space for water to be immobilized. These proteins are also known as contractile proteins
because they play role in muscle contraction.

c) Connective Tissue proteins Connective tissue proteins considered as a supporting

framework thus plays numerous functions in living body. This fraction of proteins includes
collagen, elastin and reticulin, which is less well-defined than the former two.
3.Carbohydrates
Immediately after postmortem, muscle containing small amount (about 1 % of glycogen
usually disappears before completion of rigor. Both the rate and amount of glycogen
breakdown control the physical properties of meat, such as water-holding capacity, color, and
tenderness.

4. Fat
Fat tissue is made up of fat cells embedded in a matrix of connective tissue. Animal fat is
composed of neutral fat and phospholipids. The neutral fats are glycerol esters of straight chain
carboxylic acids and triglycerides. Triglycerides are present as single or mixed depending on the
three fatty acids esterified to the glycerol are same or different. The structural formula represents
that all three R- group containing three different or same groups.
a)Phospholipids are present in animals in form of phosphoglycerides. These are found in very
minute range from 0.5 % to 1.0 % of lean muscle. Triglycerides are more stable than
phospholipids, they are readily oxidized and give off flavor to the meat and meat products.
Major contribution of energy comes from fat that is about 2.25 times more than protein and
carbohydrates.

b)Fatty acids play an important role in maintaining health. Linoleic acid plays a key role in
controlling and showing positive anti-carcinogenic, anti-atherogenic, anti-obesity and
anti-diabetic effects. Different sources of fat are helpful in controlling diseases and stimulating
interest or arising awareness in people. 40 % of total fatty acids in the lean meat and 48 % with
fat meat from a saturated fatty acid portion. Meat is a frequent source of long chain ω-3 PUFAS.
The unsaturated fatty acids, linoleic (C 18:2), linolenic (C 18:3) and arachidonic (C 20:4) appear
to be essential. They are necessary constituents of cell walls, mitochondria and other intensely
active metabolic sites.

5.vitamins
Vitamins Meat can be regarded as an important dietary source of vitamins, including B1 and
B2 as compared to vitamin D. Factors like nature of organ, species and age of animal affect the
vitamin content. Organ meat possesses markedly higher concentration of vitamin (A and B12)
than muscular tissue. Vitamin level in lean meat tissue is low but is excellent source of folate
and vitamin A. Bioavailable vitamins in rich amount can be obtained from meat. e.g. Vitamin B12
2/3 as part and 25 % RDI of riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B6 and panthothenic acid, fulfilling daily
requirements in a 100 g serving of meat.

6.Minerals
Mineral components vary in several meats. Potassium is quantitatively the most important
mineral, followed by phosphorus, except in cured meat where sodium from the added salt
predominates. In respect of species differences, the high content of iron in beef no doubt
reflects the greater concentration of myoglobin in this species than in mutton. Iron, copper and
zinc contents of kidney and liver are much higher than those in muscular tissue.
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