The Fatty Acid Composition of Free and Bound Lipids in Freeze‐Dried Meats

SUMMARY The fatty acid composition of free and bound lipids in freeze‐dried pork, lamb, and beef was determined by gas‐liquid chromatography (GLC). Both raw and cooked samples were studied to establish whether cooking affected the fatty acid content of either fraction. Sixteen acids were identified in pork, lamb, and beef. In the bound lipids fraction, traces of saturated C 13 , C 15 , and C 17 were evident. Three peaks remained unidentified. These unknown peaks are probably unsaturated acids, although the possibility that they may be oxidation products cannot be ruled out entirely. The bound lipids fraction of the meat samples studied was found to have a greater quantity of polyunsaturated fatty acids than the free lipids fraction. The linoleic, behenic, and arachidonic acid content of the bound lipids exceeded that of the free lipids fraction. Cooking prior to freeze‐drying appeared to have no significant influence on the fatty acid composition of either free or bound lipids. Lamb and beef are similar to each other in fatty acid composition, and quite different from pork. The myristic and myristoleic acid content is higher in lamb and beef than in pork, but the linoleic and arachidonic acid content of pork exceeds that of lamb and beef.