Protein and mineral characterisation of rendered meat and bone meal

M. Buckley, K. E. H. Penkman, T. J. Wess, S. Reaney, M. J. Collins

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

We report the characterisation of meat and bone meal (MBM) standards (Set B-EFPRA) derived from cattle, sheep, pig and chicken, each rendered at four different temperatures (133, 137, 141 and 145 degrees C). The standards, prepared for an EU programme STRATFEED (to develop new methodologies for the detection and quantification of illegal addition of mammalian tissues in feeding stuffs), have been widely circulated and used to assess a range of methods for identification of the species composition of MBM. The overall state of mineral alteration and protein preservation as a function of temperature was monitored using small angle X-ray diffraction (SAXS), amino acid composition and racemization analyses. Progressive increases in protein damage and mineral alteration in chicken and cattle standards was observed. In the case of sheep and pig, there was greater damage to the proteins and alteration of the minerals at the lowest treatment temperature (133 degrees C), suggesting that the thermal treatments must have been compromised in some way. This problem has probably impacted upon the numerous studies which tested methods against these heat treatments. We use protein mass spectrometric methods to explore if thermostable proteins could be used to identify rendered MBM. In more thermally altered samples, so-called 'thermostable' proteins such as osteocalcin which has been proposed as a ideal target to speciate MBM were no longer detectable, but the structural protein type I collagen could be used to differentiate all four species, even in the most thermally altered samples. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1267-1278
Number of pages12
JournalJournal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry
Volume134
Issue number3
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Oct 2012

Cite this