AN OBJECTIVE MEASUREMENT FOR EVALUATION OF BIND

IN RESTRUCTURED LAMB ROASTS

R. A. FIELD, J . C. WILLIAMS, V S. PRASAD, H. R. CROSS2,J. L. SECRIST3and M. S.
BREWER

lUniversity of Wyomi Laramie, Wyoming

2RomanL. Hruska U% Meat Animal Research Center;Clay Center;NE
W.S. Army Natick Research and Development Lab, Natick, MA
Received June 2, 1983; Accepted March 12, 1984

ABSTRACT

An attachment for the Instron Universal Testing machine for the measure-
ment of bind in restructured lamb roasts is described. Break strength is de-
fined as the force in kg necessary for apolished steel ball to burst through the
center of a slice of restructured roast. Elongation is the distance traveled by
the ball after contact with the slice surface before the ball bursts through. As
level of NaCl increased from 1% to 1.5%, values for bind characteristics in-
creased but 10% or 30% mechanically separated lamb (MSL) did not affect
values for bind characteristics. Simple correlations between three adjacent
slices for break strength were all above 0.9 but values for ebngatwn were lower
( r = 0.6-0.7).

INTRODUCTION

Restructured meat products, recently referred to as intermediate value

products (Breidenstein 19821, are being produced in greater quantities.
Binding together of meat pieces is an essential requirement of restructur-
ing. An accurate measurement of the ability of pieces of meat to bind is
needed if parameters of restructuring such as mixing time, massaging, pH,
temperature and additives are to be assessed.
In the past, devices adapted to the Instron Universal Testing machine
have been described which may be useful in evaluating the ability of pieces
of meat to bind. Cross et al. (1978) described shear devices which Huffman
et al. (1981) used to study the effect of salt and tripolyphosphate on accept-

Journal of Texture S t u d l e s 15 (1984) 173-178. All rights reserved,

cc Copyright 1984 by Food & Niitritmn Press. Inc , Westport, Connectxut 173
174 R. FIELD. J. WILLIARIS. V PRASAD. H CROSS. J. SECRIST AND M. BREWER

ability of flaked and formed hamburger patties. Pepper and Schmidt (1975)
used a breaking bar to record pressures necessary to break restructured
beef rolls. An Instron Universal Testing machine equipped with pneumat-
ically powered jaws has also been used to record the peak force required to
separate pieces of meat a t their binding junction (Siege1and Schmidt 1979).
None of the methods described for evaluating the ability of pieces of meat to
bind have been used extensively, and additional measures which eliminate
surface interactions between the meat components and the testing mecha-
nisms and accurately reflect bind are needed. This report describes a device
for measuring break strength and elongation on the inner portion of slices
from cooked restructured roasts. The procedure is rapid and could easily be
used as a routine measure in quality control of restructured meat.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Chilled (2C)muscles from lamb leg, loin, rib and shoulder were ground
through a 3.8 ern kidney plate and thirty-six restructured chunked and
formed lamb roasts were prepared by the methods of Brewer et al. (1983)and
stuffed into 100 mm diameter fibrous casings. Roasts contained 1%or 1.5%
NaC1, 10% or 3 0 8 mechanically separated lamb (MSL) and 0.3%sodium
tripolyphosphate. Roasts were equally divided with regard to level of NaCl
and MSL. They were heated to 71"C,showered in cold water and then chilled
overnight a t 4C before being sliced. Three slices 6.4 mm thick and three
slices 12.7 mm thick were removed from the center of each of 18 of the chilled
roasts (one-half of the roasts in each NaCl and MSL level). For the remain-
ing 18 roasts, only 12.7 mm thick slices were made and three to six slices
were obtained from each of these roasts.
Slices were tested a t approximately 4C. The attachment for the Instron
Universal Testing machine consisted of a polished steel ball (high carbon
chrome alloy grade 25) welded to a rod and mounted in a chuck which was
attached to the Instron crosshead. The ball moved a t a rate of 10 cmimin.
Slices from restructured lamb roasts were pressed onto tapered needles
mounted 2 mm apart along the inside periphery of a plexiglass ring (Fig. 1 ).
The ring had a n inside diameter of 64 mm and the circle formed by the
needles was 75 mm in diameter. Each needle protruded 12.5 mm above the
surface of the plexiglass ring and measured 1 mm at the base. Pressure re-
quired to force a 19.0 or 25.4 mm diameter ball through 6.4 or 12.5 mm
thick slices was recorded on slices from 36 wether lamb roasts. Break
strength is defined as the force in kg necessary for the polished steel ball to
burst through a slice of restructured roast. Elongation, which is the dis-
tance traveled by the ball after contact with the slice surface before the ball
bursts through the slice, was recorded as well.
 MEASUREMENT FOR RESTRUCTURED LAMB ROASTS 175

FIG. 1. a. A POLISHED STEEL BALL WAS WELDED TO A ROD AND MOUNTED IN A CHUCK
WHICH WAS ATTACHED TO THE CROSSHEAD OF AN INSTRON UNIVERSAL TESTING
MACHINE. b. SLICES OF THE CHILLED RESTRUCTURED ROASTS WERE PRESSED ON THE
TAPERED NEEDLES MOUNTED 2 mm APART ALONG THE INSIDE PERIPHERYOF A
PLEXIGLASS RING c. THE PLEXIGLASS RING WAS PLACED IN A STAND SO THAT THE
POLISHED STEEL BALL WAS DRIVEN THROUGH THE CENTER OF THE SLICE OF
RESTRUCTURED ROAST.

Approximately one-third of the slices 6.4 mm thick and one-third of the

slices 12.7 mm thick were tested with the steel ball 19.0 mm in diameter
while the rest were tested with the 25.4 mm diameter ball. Three additional
slices 25.4 mm thick were removed from all 36 heated and chilled roasts and
three 25.4 mm diameter cores were removed from each slice. Warner-Brat-
zler shear values were obtained on each core and the nine values were
averaged.
Least-squares analysis of data with unequal subclass numbers (Harvey
1975)was used to obtain means. The model included slice thickness, ball di-
ameter, level of NaC1, level of MSL and all possible two-way interactions. Dif-
ferences between means were tested using Duncans Multiple Range Test
(Steel and Torrie 1960).
176 R. FIELD. J. WILLIAMS, V PRASAD. H. CROSS. J. SECRIST AND M. BREWER

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

It took 2.32 kg or more than twice as much pressure for the ball to burst
through 12.7 mm thick slices as it did to burst through 6.4 mm thick slices
(Table 1).The 25.4 mm diameter ball required slightly more pressure t o
burst through slices than the 19.0 mm diameter ball. Slightly more elon-
gation before the ball burst through the slices was observed for 12.7 mm
thick slices than for 6.4 mm thick slices. In addition, the ball that was 19.0
mm in diameter produced less elongation in the slice surface than the ball
25.4 mm in diameter. No interactions between slice thickness or ball di-
ameter with any of the parameters measured on the restructured lamb
roasts were present. Therefore, in future studies slices 6.4 mm or 12.7 mm
thick and ball diameters 19.0 mm or 25.4 mm wide can be used to deter-
mine differences in bind characteristics of restructured roasts.
The effects of level of NaCl and level of mechanically separated lamb in
the restructured roasts are also shown in Table 1. Increasing the salt level
from 1%to 1.5%increases values for breaking strength and elongation. This
result is consistent with the findings of other researchers (Acton 1972; Sie-
gel and Schmidt 1979; Booren et al. 1982).
Level of MSL in the restructured lamb roasts did not change values for
bind. Goldstrand ( 1975) stated that no compensation for bind is necessary
when mechanically separated meat is added a t the 10, 20 or 30'1;. levels t o
sausage products. In this study, the presence of 304 MSL, when compared
t o 10%MSL, did not appear to interfere with heat-initiated bind in chunked
and formed restructured roasts.
Simple correlation coefficients among three adjacent 12.7 mm thick slices
for break strength were all above 0.9 but values for elongation were some-
what lower ( r = 0.6-0.7). Perhaps, a greater amount of variability between
roasts for break strength than or elongation was partially responsible for
the higher correlations for break strength. A correlation coefficient of 0.85
was obtained when the average of the three peak values was compared to the
average of the three elongation values. Neither of the bind values was highly
correlated with Warner-Bratzler shear values. Bouton et al. (1975) con-
cluded that Warner-Bratzler shear measurements were markedly different
from both tensile and adhesion measurements when muscle which was not
restructured was cooked and evaluated.
In summary, we have described an attachment for the Instron Universal
Testing machine which is useful for detecting differences in bind character-
istics in slices from restructured lamb roasts. It is believed that the attach-
ment will be useful in future studies with restructured meat and t h e
attachment may be of value in studies like the one described by Bouton et
al. (1975)with intact meat.
 MEASUREMENT FOR RESTRUCTURED LAMB ROASTS 177

Table 1. Least-squares means for break strength and elongation of chilled slices from
restructured roasts of wether lambs

Variable Break s t r e n g t h , kg E l o n g a t i o n , mm

S l i c e thickness
b
6.4 m .97 17.90b
12.7 m 2. 32a 19. 40a
S.E. .05 .22

Ball d i a m e t e r
b
19.0 mm 1.57 17. 78b
25.4 mm 1.73= 19. 3ga
S.E. .06 .24

Level of N a C l
b
1.0% 1.49 17. 92b
1.5% 1. 8 I a 19. 24a
S.E. .06 .22

L e v e l of MSL
10% 1.68 18.62
30% 1.61 18.54
S.E. .05 .20

abMeans w i t h i n v a r i a b l e s i n t h e same column a r e d i f f e r e n t (Pc.01)

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