Assessment of meat freshness in quality control employing chemical techniques: A review

Numerous chemical and physical tests have been described which reflect the biochemical and other changes which occur in meat during storage. Although some work has occasionally included the correlation with organoleptic data, there have been few suggestions as to possible critical legal or control limits. In industrial control, however, each method has to be considered in relation to the purpose intended and semi‐empirical tests may be of value provided that the procedure is standardised. Critical maxima based on chemical values have been recommended for white fish, which differs, however, from meat in having a negligible fat content. With meat, protein breakdown usually precedes fat spoilage, but in certain circumstances the order of these reactions is reversed. Recommended limits for meat should take into account both types of spoilage. The review concludes with suggestions for a coordinated programme of study which could help in clarifying some of the difficulties inherent in the application of meat spoilage research in industrial control.