Chicken, turkey, and veal
Measuring cell: DSC12E with cryostat cooling
Pan: Aluminum standard 40 µl, hermetically sealed
Reference: Approximately 70 mg alumina to compensate the heat capacity of the sample.
Sample preparation: Small pieces were cut with a sharp knife
DSC measurement: Heating from 30 °C to 110 °C at 10 K/min
The meat proteins undergo several conformational changes. There are the transitions of myosin and sub-units at 55 °C to 62 °C, of sarcoplasmic proteins and collagens around 67 °C and of actin at 78 °C to 83 °C [1]. The DSC curves are characteristic ‘fingerprints’ of the various muscle proteins.
The DSC curves show the denaturation temperatures. They are the key parameters for processing and serve for identification purposes.
[1] Harwalkar and Ma, Thermic Analysis of Foods, Elsevier, 1990, p 93.
DSC of Meat | Thermal Analysis Application No. HB 1003 | Application published in METTLER TOLEDO TA Application Handbook Food