EFFECTS OF LOW CONCENTRATIONS OF H2O2ON LIPID OXIDATION AND OF STORAGE AND pH ON NONHEME IRON CONTENT OF RAW BEEF MUSCLE

Abstract

Ground beef samples were prepared from semimembranosus muscles, and beef muscle residue devoid of heme pigments was prepared by repeated washing of the ground muscle with distilled-deionized water. When ground muscle, or muscle residue samples treated with metmyoglobin-H₂O₂ (4 mg metmyoglobin/g muscle residue; 1:0.1 to 1:1 for molar ratio of metmyoglobin to H₂O²) were stored at 4°C for 0 or 6 days, no changes in nonheme iron content were observed. Similarly, nonheme iron content of stored samples was not affected by pH (5.5, 6.0 or 6.5). While metmyoglobin-H₂O² added to water-extracted beef muscle residue catalyzed the oxidation of the indigenous lipids, treatment of the residue with H₂O² alone had no effect on the oxidation.