Protein thaw loss in meat systems: Biochemical influence towards meat authentication of fresh versus thawed

Meat quality is always subject to consumer scrutiny when purchasing from retail markets on mislabeling as fresh meat. Repeated cycles of ‘freeze-thaw’ degrade the quality of meat. Existing studies have primarily embarked on physical, chemical and biochemical changes induced by variable storage conditions. The authentication of fresh versus thawed meat quality can be further explored with the data involving a series of biochemical pathways that were largely well-studied in living muscle tissues. However, these pathways are less predictable in postslaughter condition where muscle turns to meat. In addition, there is far less known about how various management or environmental stimuli impact these pathways, either by substrate load or altered cellular environment during storage. Though the rate of post-slaughter metabolism is quite important in driving meat quality development, it is also fairly well established. Alternatively, the biochemical mechanisms responsible for the cessation of postmortem metabolism, or protracted carbohydrate metabolism are particularly puzzling. Likewise, there is little information about the relationship between volatility profiles of biomolecules with regards to functional groups, enzymatic activity, protein solubility and protein surface properties in meat during storage. The studies of these changes could be used to distinguish between fresh and thawed meat.