Development of a spectrophotometric approach for assessing pork quality during storage
https://doi.org/10.21323/2414-438X-2025-10-3-237-246
Abstract
The annual growth of meat production, accompanied by significant quality deterioration at all stages of the production chain, drives the development of fast and highly accurate control methods. The work is devoted to the adaptation of the spectrophotometric method for assessing pork quality based on the analysis of muscle tissue extracts. The purpose of the work is to generalize and systematize knowledge about spectrophotometric analysis and the application of this method for pork quality control during storage. The work provides a comparative spectrophotometric assessment of various methods for extracting protein and non-protein components of pork muscle tissue. Aqueous, buffer, NaCl and KCl extracts of muscle tissue were studied, their absorption spectra in the wavelength range of 315–1000 nm were analyzed. It was found that KCl and NaCl extraction ensured the maximum degree of myofibrillar and sarcoplasmic protein extraction, and also formed the most pronounced and stable spectral peaks. Particular attention was paid to the analysis of KCl extracts demonstrating the best resolution and clarity of spectral curves, which is important for a detailed study of changes in muscle tissue properties during storage. During meat storage, statistically significant changes in the intensity and geometry of key spectral peaks (λ325–335, λ 355, λ410–415, λ545, λ580, λ610–620, λ635–650) were revealed, which were simultaneous with histostructural transformations of muscle tissue. A high correlation was established between the change in the area of minor peaks and the dynamics of muscle fiber diameter, which allows using spectral characteristics as objective indicators for the degree of changes in muscle tissue at the cellular and molecular levels during storage. The results obtained confirm the feasibility of using spectrophotometric analysis of KCl extracts for an objective assessment of meat quality and monitoring its changes at various stages of storage.
About the Authors
V. D. Raznichenka
Slutsk Meat Processing Plant JSC; Belarusian State University of Food and Chemical Technologies
Belarus
Belarus
Viktar D. Raznichenka, Engineer-Technologist, Department of the Chief Technologist
18, Tutarinov str., Slutsk, Minsk region, 223610, Republic of Belarus
A. U. Shkabrou
Ministry of Agriculture and Food of the Republic of Belarus
Belarus
Belarus
Aleh U. Shkabrou, Candidate of Technical Sciences, Docent, Head of the Department of Meat and Dairy Products Technologies
15, Kirov str., Minsk, 220030, Republic of Belarus
L. U. Lazovikava
Belarusian State University of Food and Chemical Technologies
Belarus
Belarus
Lyubou U. Lazovikava, Candidate of Technical Sciences, Docent, Docent, Department of Technology of Public Catering and Meat Products
3, Shmidt Avenue, Mogilev, 212027, Republic of Belarus
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Raznichenka V.D., Shkabrou A.U., Lazovikava L.U. Development of a spectrophotometric approach for assessing pork quality during storage. Theory and practice of meat processing. 2025;10(3):237-246. https://doi.org/10.21323/2414-438X-2025-10-3-237-246
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