Introduction
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The increased awareness of the close relationship between food and health has led the interest of consumers towards the acquisition of more detailed information on quality characteristics of foods and also on their safety, with a clear demand to know the entire production chain of foods from farm to fork. The first step to meet these demands is to make available and easily accessible to consumers, as well as to the various stakeholders, data on the composition of the foods that are included in the daily diet. Getting data on the nutrient composition of foods as daily consumed, namely on the quality of processed food will allow consumers to make more careful choices of foods that constitute the overall daily diet. Both the preparation steps of meat and the utilization of different cooking methods can lead to changes in the chemical composition of meat, greatly varying the nutrient and micronutrient intake (Lombardi-Boccia et al., 2005, D’Evoli et al., 2009). Losses in some vitamins, especially those more unstable to heat or to light exposure, can occur (Yang et al., 1994; Lombardi-Boccia et al., 2005, Gerber et al., 2009). Furthermore, among trace elements, the knowledge of the level of heme iron in meat is of relevant interest because of its important nutritional value. The severity of the thermal processes in fact could induce the degradation of heme pigment with a consequent release of a less bioavailable iron form (Igene et al., 1979; Lombardi-Boccia et al., 2002a). Therefore a careful estimation of the heme iron content in cooked meats and in meat-based dishes contributes to get a reliable index of its potential availability (D’Evoli et al., 2009), a necessary tool to plan suitable diets for specific segments of population.
The present study was addressed to evaluate the chemical composition and the nutritional value of culinary preparations based on veal meat. The recipes utilized in the study were selected among the most widespread ones in Italy and specific for the following veal meat cuts: fillet (raw, in pan, roasted with bacon), top-side (raw, saltimbocca, escalope, stewed, vitel tonnè), sirloin (raw, in pan, barbecued). Data on macro- and micro-nutrients, heme iron, cholesterol and energy value were reported. The influence of cooking methods and recipe formulation (ingredients) on the actual nutrient content was evaluated.
Materials and Methods
Meat
Three veal cuts were utilised in this study: fillet, top-side and sirloin. Veals (Charolais and Limousine) were raised on commercial pellets (UNIFEED), a mixture of maize, wheat flour, hay, ensilage, and slaughtered conventionally at 7 months old. Cuts were trimmed away of external fat, vacuum packed and delivered to laboratory. Fillet, top-side and sirloin were subdivided in a number of equal aliquots: some aliquots were immediately taken for the analysis of raw meat, others were prepared to be cooked following recipes selected from the traditional Italian cuisine.
Dishes based on veal meat
In pan
Ingredients: 850 g meat. Cooking method: in pan, 3-5 min.
Roasted with bacon
510 g meat, 25 g bacon, 30 mL extra-virgin olive oil, 3 g rosemary, 2 g salt, 0.4 g black pepper.
Cooking method: in pan, 10 min.
Saltimbocca Roman style
450 g meat, 100 g ham, 25 g butter, 25 g wheat flour, 2.3 g salt, 0.3 g black pepper, 65 mL white wine, 4.5 g sauge (8 leaves).
Cooking method: in pan, 10 min.
Escalope with Marsala wine
Ingredients: 490 g meat, 27 g wheat flour, 40 mL extra-virgin olive oil, 150 mL white wine, 2 g salt., 55 mL Marsala wine.
Cooking method: in casserole, 15 min.
Stewed
480 g meat, 8 g wheat flour, 1/2 onion (50 g), 40 mL extra-virgin olive oil, 60 mL red wine, 2.6 g salt, 0.2 g black pepper.
Cooking method: in casserole, 45 min.
Vitel tonnè
600 g meat (top-side), 4 g salt.
Cooking method: in casserole, 40 min.
Maionnaise sauce: 1 egg (60 g), 180 mL extra-virgin olive oil, 160 g canned tuna, 33 g capperi, 6 anchovies (7.5 g), 1.2 g salt, 20 g lemon juice.
Barbecued
Ingredients: 500 g meat.
Cooking method: on the barbecue, 7 min.
Each selected dish was prepared three times in a test kitchen; stainless-steel tools were used. After cooking, each dish was homogenised and stored at -30°C for subsequent analyses.
Analyses
Moisture, ash, protein, lipid: analyses were performed following the AOAC method (1997).
Cholesterol: cholesterol was extracted by boiling meat sample under reflux in a 50 mL volumetrix flask with methanolic potassium hydroxide in the presence of isopropanol. Cholesterol content was determined by enzymatic oxidation (Boehringer Mannheim/RBiopharm kit).
Energy: energy values were expressed in kilocalories (kcal) (Greenfield and Southgate, 1992).
Fatty acids: Intramuscular fat was extracted by the method of Folch et al. (1957) using chloroform/methanol (2/1, v/v). Fatty acids were esterified using boron trifluoride in methanol as esterification reagent (Metcalfe et al., 1966). The esterified fatty acids were quantified by gas-chromatography (HP 5890 II series,equipped with FID). Separations were accomplished for saturated fatty acid on a Supelcowax 10 TM (60 mx 0.25 mm i.d., 0.25 m film thickness column). Standard Reference Material: Beef/Pig Fat Blend (BCR 163, Community Bureau of Reference, Brussels) and F.A.M.E. Mix C4-C24 (Supelco, Bellofonte PA, USA) were analysed as a control of the accuracy of the analysis.
Minerals: Samples were analysed for macro elements (Ca, Mg, Na, K, P) and trace elements (Fe, Zn, Cu,Mn) content. Aliquots of the samples were liquid ashed (4 mL HNO3+1 mL H2O2) in a microwave digestion system. Analyses were performed by ICP-Plasma on a Perkin-Elmer (Norwalk, CT 06859, USA) Optima 3200XL. Standard Reference Material:Bovine muscle (BCR 184, Community Bureau of Reference, Brussels) and Bovine liver (NBS 1577°; National Bureau of Standards, Gaithersburg, MD, USA) were analysed as a control of the accuracy of the analysis.
Heme iron: heme iron was determined following the method described by Lombardi-Boccia et al (2002b).
B Vitamins: thiamine and riboflavin were separated and quantified by HPLC after acidic and enzymatic (Takadiastase) hydrolysis of the samples, following the procedure described by Arella et al. (1996). Niacin was quantified following the method described by Lahély et al. (1999).
Vitamin E, t-retinol: were separated and quantified by HPLC following the method by Albalà-Hurtado et al. (1997).
Validation and Quality control procedure: Analytical quality control was performed by the analysis of both accuracy and precision of the methods. For minerals and fatty acids the accuracy of the analysis was performed utilizing Reference Standard Materials. For vitamins the accuracy of the analysis was performed by the calculation of the recoveries. Recovery experiments were performed by spiking the samples with known standards concentration. Recoveries were over 85%. Precision of the methods used in this study was good: the reproducibility was performed extracting in triplicate the same lot. System suitability tests were performed during the analysis to verify that the resolution and the reproducibility of chromatographic system were adequate for the analysis.
Statistics: Data are presented as M±SD of three independent experiments. Compositional data were statistically processed utilizing the student t-test to compare raw vs. cooked meat cuts, differences were considered significant at p<0 .05="" p="">
Results and Discussions
Proximate composition
Raw cuts were characterised by a similar protein content, by contrast total fat content was similar in fillet and sirloin (2.3% both) but slightly lower in top-side (1.6%). The highest cholesterol content in raw meat was found in fillet (75.4 mg/100 g) followed by sirloin (70.2 mg/100 g) and top-side (63 mg/100 g). RHEE et al. (1982) reported that low concentrations of cholesterol in meat generally coincided with tissue lower in fat. Total fat content determined in the raw veal cuts in this study was lower compared to both data reported in Italian Food Composition Tables (CARNOVALE and MARLETTA, 2000) and in a previous study dealing with top-side from bovine steers (D’EVOLI et al., 2009).
Proximate composition of the Italian traditional meat-based dishes analysed in this study was strongly influenced by the ingredients utilised in individual dish, and by the different cooking methods utilised. Among the dishes only fillet cooked “in pan” and sirloin cooked both “in pan” and “barbecued” did not contain added ingredients, so in these dishes the observed increases in protein, lipid and cholesterol content, with respect to raw cuts, were due to losses in moisture content. The only exception was observed for sirloin cooked “in pan” where a slight decrease in lipid content was found. Badiani et al. (2002) observed that heat processing parameters significantly affected the nutrient retention in meat. Conversely, the increases detected in both protein and lipid concentration in all the other meat-based dishes studied were mainly dependent on the added ingredients (extra-virgin olive oil, eggs, bacon, butter, ham, canned tuna, anchovies). This was the case especially of the two dishes which were characterized by the highest lipid increase: fillet “roasted with bacon” (14.1 mg/100 g; p<0 .01="" 203="" 238="" a="" also="" and="" as="" bacon="" barbecued="" both="" by="" characterised="" cholesterol="" compared="" consequence="" content="" cooked="" cut="" differences="" dishes="" energy="" fillet="" found="" g="" highest="" in="" kcal="" last="" meat-based="" mg="" p="" raw="" respective="" respectively.="" roasted="" significant="" sirloin="" stewed="" the="" to="" tonn="" top-side="" two="" value:="" vitel="" were="" with="">
Fatty acids
Among SFA palmitic (C16:0) and stearic acids (C18:0) were the most represented in the raw cuts. Palmitic acid content showed a significant increase only in “saltimbocca” dish (p<0 .001="" 56="" 69="" acid.="" acid="" all="" among="" and="" bacon="" barbecued="" butter="" by="" compared="" content="" contrast="" cooked="" cut="" cuts.="" decreased="" detected="" dish="" dishes.="" dishes="" escalope="" extra-virgin="" fatty="" filled="" fillet="" for="" found="" from="" in="" instead="" most="" mufa="" nbsp="" of="" oil.="" oleic="" olive="" only="" other="" p="" palmitic="" pan="" raw="" reductions="" represented="" respective="" roasted="" significant="" significantly="" sirloin="" stearic="" stewed="" the="" this="" three="" to="" tonn="" top-side="" up="" utilizing="" vitel="" was="" with="">
Among the meat-based dishes cooked without added ingredients only fillet cooked “in pan” showed a significant decrease (p<0 .001="" 62="" 72="" a="" abundant="" acid="" acids="" added="" addition="" affected="" after="" al.="" all="" amounts="" analysed="" and="" animal="" arachidonic="" are="" as="" bacon="" barbecued="" based="" both="" butter="" by="" changes="" compared="" composition="" concentration="" consequently="" content.="" content="" contribute="" cooked="" cooking="" culinary="" cut.="" cuts.="" cuts="" decrease="" decreased="" depending="" detected="" did="" dish="" dishes.="" dishes="" double="" droplets="" due="" during="" easily="" eggs="" escalope="" et="" except="" explained="" extra-virgin="" fat.="" fat="" fatty="" fillet="" first="" followed="" food="" for="" former="" found="" from="" further="" generalized="" gerber="" hand="" higher="" in="" increase="" increases="" induces="" ingredient="" ingredients="" italian="" its="" less="" like="" linoleic="" lower="" main="" meat-based="" meat="" melting="" more="" most="" muscle="" necessary="" not="" observed="" of="" oil="" oleic="" olive="" on="" only="" or="" other="" p="" pan="" preparation="" presence="" pufa="" ranging="" raw="" released="" responsible="" saltimbocca="" significant="" significantly="" sirloin="" some="" stewed="" structural="" than="" that="" the="" this="" thus="" tissues="" to="" tonn="" top-side="" total="" traditional="" utilization="" utilize="" vegetable="" vitel="" was="" well="" were="" which="" with="" without="">
A recent study (Haak et al., 2007) found that pan-frying changed the fatty acid composition of pork meat depending on the type of culinary fat utilised. The recommended P/S ratio for a healthy diet is 0.45-0.65 (DEPT. of HEALTH, 1994). From a nutritional point of view total P/S ratio is thought to be of importance in relation to human health. The values of the P/S ratio found in this study ranged from 0.28 found in “saltimbocca” to a maximum value of 0.80 found in fillet cooked “in pan”.
Among the dishes analysed the most favourable P/S ratio was found in fillet and sirloin raw cuts and in top-side cooked as “escalope” which showed the highest reduction in SFA content upon cooking. The lowest P/S ratio was found in “saltimbocca”, the meat-based dish with the highest SFA level. Our findings agree with previous studies showing that in cooked meat this ratio generally increased (Ono et al., 1985; Gerber et al., 2009). The main differences in the balance among the three fatty acid classes in the recipes compared to raw meat reflected the observed modifications in individual fatty acid content.
In this study no major changes were observed among the three FA classes in the meat cuts cooked without added ingredients compared to the raw cut. In the dishes added with extra-virgin olive oil the ratio among SFA, MUFA and PUFA compared to raw meat was shifted in favour of MUFA. By contrast, the “saltimbocca” dish, which includes animal foods as main ingredients, showed the highest SFA content compared to the raw cut.
Vitamins
Thiamin content in raw veal cuts was slightly higher than that reported previously (Lombardi-Boccia et al., 2005), only trace amount of it was detected in raw sirloin but, after barbecuing, the marked water losses occurred made it detectable. The amount of riboflavin was markedly higher than that reported by Lombardi-Boccia et al. (2005) and by Gerber et al. (2009).
Vitamins content in meat-based dishes showed to be influenced by both dish composition and the severity of the adopted cooking methods. Among the three cuts analysed a significant increase in thiamin concentration was detected in “saltimbocca” (p<0 .001="" a="" and="" as="" bacon="" barbecued="" based="" both="" compared="" concentration="" concerned="" cooked="" decrease="" decreases="" detected="" dishes="" due="" escalope="" far="" fillet="" found="" ham="" hand="" in="" increases="" its="" meat="" observed="" of="" on="" other="" p="" pan="" presence="" probably="" raw="" riboflavin="" roasted="" saltimbocca="" significant="" sirloin="" the="" this="" to="" tonn="" vitamin="" vitel="" was="" were="" with="">
Niacin content resulted significantly higher in the dishes without added ingredients like fillet “in pan” and “barbecued” sirloin (p<0 .05="" a="" among="" and="" bacon="" based="" because="" both="" compared="" contribution="" cuts.="" detected="" dishes.="" dishes="" escalope="" fillet="" found="" ham="" in="" increases="" meat-based="" nbsp="" of="" otherwise="" p="" probably="" raw="" reduction="" roasted="" saltimbocca="" significant="" stewed="" the="" to="" top-side="" was="" were="" with="">
Among liposoluble vitamins only vitamin E was detectable; generally, a significant increase in vitamin E concentration was observed in the dishes including extra-virgin olive oil as main ingredient compared to the raw cut. This behaviour was detected in fillet “roasted with bacon” and “vitel tonnè” (both p<0 .001="" 2009="" a="" added="" al.="" amounts.="" and="" as="" because="" beef="" behaviour="" both="" compared="" content="" cooked="" cut.="" cuts="" detected="" differences="" dishes="" due="" e="" escalope="" especially="" et="" extra-virgin="" fillet="" from="" heat.="" in="" included="" ingredients="" like="" loss="" losses="" made="" masked="" meat-based="" meat="" most="" new="" not="" of="" oil="" olive="" only="" or="" p="" pan="" raw="" relevant="" reported="" showed="" significant="" similar="" sources="" stewed="" studied="" t-retinol="" the="" to="" trace="" up="" utilised="" vitamin="" vitamins="" voli="" was="" well="" which="" with="" without="">
Minerals
Data on mineral content in the raw veal cuts found in this study were in the range previously reported, although among trace elements Fe and Zn were found in lower amount (Lombardi-Boccia et al., 2005). The main differences between the raw cuts and the respective dishes were observed mainly in Na content. With the exception of the “in pan” and “barbecued” dishes which were the only ones without added ingredients, all the other dishes showed significant increases (p<0 .001="" 1.6="" 2002="" 2009="" 4.1mg="" 73="" 82="" 8="" a="" added="" addition="" additional="" agency="" al.="" all="" also="" always="" among="" amount="" an="" analysed="" anchovies="" and="" are="" as="" bacon="" barbecued="" based="" beef="" both="" by="" canned="" case="" compared="" composite="" concentration="" concerned="" content.="" content="" contrast="" cooked="" cu="" cut="" cuts.="" cuts="" dealing="" depending="" differences="" discretionary="" dish.="" dishes="" duration="" each="" element="" elements.="" elements="" escalope="" et="" explained="" far="" fe="" fillet="" fish="" food="" for="" found="" from="" g="" generally="" ham="" heat="" heme-iron="" heme="" higher="" highest="" in="" increase="" increased="" inducing="" ingredient="" ingredients="" inherent="" iron.="" iron="" is="" like="" loss="" made="" marked="" meat-based="" meat="" mg="" mn="" modified="" moisture="" most="" na="" new="" no="" non-heme="" observed="" of="" on="" one="" only="" or="" p="" pan="" presence="" previous="" raise="" ratio="" raw="" reductions="" related="" respective="" resulted="" rich="" roasted="" salt="" saltimbocca="" severity="" showed="" significantly="" sirloin="" some="" sources="" standards="" stewed="" strictly="" study="" such="" that="" the="" these="" this="" those="" to="" tonn="" top-side="" topside="" total="" trace="" treatment="" treatments="" tuna="" up="" veal="" vitel="" voli="" was="" well.="" were="" which="" with="" without="" yields="" zinc="">
Conclusions
Meat consumption greatly contributes to nutrient supply but also provides less healthier molecules like saturated fatty acids and cholesterol. However, cooking methods can lead to important modifications in nutrient dietary intakes when foods are consumed as composite dishes. Our findings pointed out that when meat is cooked without any additional ingredient (in pan or barbecue), the nutritional profile was minimally altered. The variety of both the ingredients which make up the dishes and the cooking methods contribute to modify the nutritional profile of the meat. Factors like type of cooking (moist and dry heating), temperature, cooking time and ingredients, deeply contribute to modify the forecast data about the nutrient intake level. For example the consumption of meat in composite dishes containing vegetable fat instead of animal fat as added ingredient can change favourably the profile of fatty acids. In this study the proportion of fatty acids in the meat-based dishes changed with respect to both raw meat and meat cooked without ingredients, being influenced by the culinary fat added: the presence of extra-virgin olive oil gave rise to a marked increase in monounsaturated fatty acids. Similarly, the inclusion of extra-virgin olive oil in the dishes increased also the levels of vitamin E beneficial to human health. At the same time, other ingredients of the meat-based dishes can lead to a raise in some unhealthy molecules, such as an increased level of sodium (due to discretionary salt) or cholesterol. Anyway, the knowledge of the changes in nutritionally interesting molecules (eg. fatty acids, heme-iron, vitamins, cholesterol) occurring upon cooking is of importance because it allows to get a correct calculation of their actual intake. From a nutritional point of view, to collect data on the nutrient profile of meat-based dishes representative of the diverse worldwide eating habits has a relevant nutritional significance. This represents the most appropriate basis for reliable information on the actual nutrient intake and can be a proper and useful tool to formulate more accurate diets.
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By M. Lucarini, L. D’Evoli, S. Nicoli, A. Aguzzi, P. Gabrielli, G. Lombardi-Boccia (National Institute on Food and Nutrition Research,Rome,Italy, in "Italian Food Technology", n. 71, April 2013, Chiriotti Editori,Torino. Adapted and illustrated to be posted by Leopoldo Costa.
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The present study was addressed to evaluate the chemical composition and the nutritional value of culinary preparations based on veal meat. The recipes utilized in the study were selected among the most widespread ones in Italy and specific for the following veal meat cuts: fillet (raw, in pan, roasted with bacon), top-side (raw, saltimbocca, escalope, stewed, vitel tonnè), sirloin (raw, in pan, barbecued). Data on macro- and micro-nutrients, heme iron, cholesterol and energy value were reported. The influence of cooking methods and recipe formulation (ingredients) on the actual nutrient content was evaluated.
Materials and Methods
Meat
Three veal cuts were utilised in this study: fillet, top-side and sirloin. Veals (Charolais and Limousine) were raised on commercial pellets (UNIFEED), a mixture of maize, wheat flour, hay, ensilage, and slaughtered conventionally at 7 months old. Cuts were trimmed away of external fat, vacuum packed and delivered to laboratory. Fillet, top-side and sirloin were subdivided in a number of equal aliquots: some aliquots were immediately taken for the analysis of raw meat, others were prepared to be cooked following recipes selected from the traditional Italian cuisine.
Dishes based on veal meat
In pan
Ingredients: 850 g meat. Cooking method: in pan, 3-5 min.
Roasted with bacon
510 g meat, 25 g bacon, 30 mL extra-virgin olive oil, 3 g rosemary, 2 g salt, 0.4 g black pepper.
Cooking method: in pan, 10 min.
Saltimbocca Roman style
450 g meat, 100 g ham, 25 g butter, 25 g wheat flour, 2.3 g salt, 0.3 g black pepper, 65 mL white wine, 4.5 g sauge (8 leaves).
Cooking method: in pan, 10 min.
Escalope with Marsala wine
Ingredients: 490 g meat, 27 g wheat flour, 40 mL extra-virgin olive oil, 150 mL white wine, 2 g salt., 55 mL Marsala wine.
Cooking method: in casserole, 15 min.
Stewed
480 g meat, 8 g wheat flour, 1/2 onion (50 g), 40 mL extra-virgin olive oil, 60 mL red wine, 2.6 g salt, 0.2 g black pepper.
Cooking method: in casserole, 45 min.
Vitel tonnè
600 g meat (top-side), 4 g salt.
Cooking method: in casserole, 40 min.
Maionnaise sauce: 1 egg (60 g), 180 mL extra-virgin olive oil, 160 g canned tuna, 33 g capperi, 6 anchovies (7.5 g), 1.2 g salt, 20 g lemon juice.
Barbecued
Ingredients: 500 g meat.
Cooking method: on the barbecue, 7 min.
Each selected dish was prepared three times in a test kitchen; stainless-steel tools were used. After cooking, each dish was homogenised and stored at -30°C for subsequent analyses.
Analyses
Moisture, ash, protein, lipid: analyses were performed following the AOAC method (1997).
Cholesterol: cholesterol was extracted by boiling meat sample under reflux in a 50 mL volumetrix flask with methanolic potassium hydroxide in the presence of isopropanol. Cholesterol content was determined by enzymatic oxidation (Boehringer Mannheim/RBiopharm kit).
Energy: energy values were expressed in kilocalories (kcal) (Greenfield and Southgate, 1992).
Fatty acids: Intramuscular fat was extracted by the method of Folch et al. (1957) using chloroform/methanol (2/1, v/v). Fatty acids were esterified using boron trifluoride in methanol as esterification reagent (Metcalfe et al., 1966). The esterified fatty acids were quantified by gas-chromatography (HP 5890 II series,equipped with FID). Separations were accomplished for saturated fatty acid on a Supelcowax 10 TM (60 mx 0.25 mm i.d., 0.25 m film thickness column). Standard Reference Material: Beef/Pig Fat Blend (BCR 163, Community Bureau of Reference, Brussels) and F.A.M.E. Mix C4-C24 (Supelco, Bellofonte PA, USA) were analysed as a control of the accuracy of the analysis.
Minerals: Samples were analysed for macro elements (Ca, Mg, Na, K, P) and trace elements (Fe, Zn, Cu,Mn) content. Aliquots of the samples were liquid ashed (4 mL HNO3+1 mL H2O2) in a microwave digestion system. Analyses were performed by ICP-Plasma on a Perkin-Elmer (Norwalk, CT 06859, USA) Optima 3200XL. Standard Reference Material:Bovine muscle (BCR 184, Community Bureau of Reference, Brussels) and Bovine liver (NBS 1577°; National Bureau of Standards, Gaithersburg, MD, USA) were analysed as a control of the accuracy of the analysis.
Heme iron: heme iron was determined following the method described by Lombardi-Boccia et al (2002b).
B Vitamins: thiamine and riboflavin were separated and quantified by HPLC after acidic and enzymatic (Takadiastase) hydrolysis of the samples, following the procedure described by Arella et al. (1996). Niacin was quantified following the method described by Lahély et al. (1999).
Vitamin E, t-retinol: were separated and quantified by HPLC following the method by Albalà-Hurtado et al. (1997).
Validation and Quality control procedure: Analytical quality control was performed by the analysis of both accuracy and precision of the methods. For minerals and fatty acids the accuracy of the analysis was performed utilizing Reference Standard Materials. For vitamins the accuracy of the analysis was performed by the calculation of the recoveries. Recovery experiments were performed by spiking the samples with known standards concentration. Recoveries were over 85%. Precision of the methods used in this study was good: the reproducibility was performed extracting in triplicate the same lot. System suitability tests were performed during the analysis to verify that the resolution and the reproducibility of chromatographic system were adequate for the analysis.
Statistics: Data are presented as M±SD of three independent experiments. Compositional data were statistically processed utilizing the student t-test to compare raw vs. cooked meat cuts, differences were considered significant at p<0 .05="" p="">
Results and Discussions
Proximate composition
Raw cuts were characterised by a similar protein content, by contrast total fat content was similar in fillet and sirloin (2.3% both) but slightly lower in top-side (1.6%). The highest cholesterol content in raw meat was found in fillet (75.4 mg/100 g) followed by sirloin (70.2 mg/100 g) and top-side (63 mg/100 g). RHEE et al. (1982) reported that low concentrations of cholesterol in meat generally coincided with tissue lower in fat. Total fat content determined in the raw veal cuts in this study was lower compared to both data reported in Italian Food Composition Tables (CARNOVALE and MARLETTA, 2000) and in a previous study dealing with top-side from bovine steers (D’EVOLI et al., 2009).
Proximate composition of the Italian traditional meat-based dishes analysed in this study was strongly influenced by the ingredients utilised in individual dish, and by the different cooking methods utilised. Among the dishes only fillet cooked “in pan” and sirloin cooked both “in pan” and “barbecued” did not contain added ingredients, so in these dishes the observed increases in protein, lipid and cholesterol content, with respect to raw cuts, were due to losses in moisture content. The only exception was observed for sirloin cooked “in pan” where a slight decrease in lipid content was found. Badiani et al. (2002) observed that heat processing parameters significantly affected the nutrient retention in meat. Conversely, the increases detected in both protein and lipid concentration in all the other meat-based dishes studied were mainly dependent on the added ingredients (extra-virgin olive oil, eggs, bacon, butter, ham, canned tuna, anchovies). This was the case especially of the two dishes which were characterized by the highest lipid increase: fillet “roasted with bacon” (14.1 mg/100 g; p<0 .01="" 203="" 238="" a="" also="" and="" as="" bacon="" barbecued="" both="" by="" characterised="" cholesterol="" compared="" consequence="" content="" cooked="" cut="" differences="" dishes="" energy="" fillet="" found="" g="" highest="" in="" kcal="" last="" meat-based="" mg="" p="" raw="" respective="" respectively.="" roasted="" significant="" sirloin="" stewed="" the="" to="" tonn="" top-side="" two="" value:="" vitel="" were="" with="">
Fatty acids
Among SFA palmitic (C16:0) and stearic acids (C18:0) were the most represented in the raw cuts. Palmitic acid content showed a significant increase only in “saltimbocca” dish (p<0 .001="" 56="" 69="" acid.="" acid="" all="" among="" and="" bacon="" barbecued="" butter="" by="" compared="" content="" contrast="" cooked="" cut="" cuts.="" decreased="" detected="" dish="" dishes.="" dishes="" escalope="" extra-virgin="" fatty="" filled="" fillet="" for="" found="" from="" in="" instead="" most="" mufa="" nbsp="" of="" oil.="" oleic="" olive="" only="" other="" p="" palmitic="" pan="" raw="" reductions="" represented="" respective="" roasted="" significant="" significantly="" sirloin="" stearic="" stewed="" the="" this="" three="" to="" tonn="" top-side="" up="" utilizing="" vitel="" was="" with="">
Among the meat-based dishes cooked without added ingredients only fillet cooked “in pan” showed a significant decrease (p<0 .001="" 62="" 72="" a="" abundant="" acid="" acids="" added="" addition="" affected="" after="" al.="" all="" amounts="" analysed="" and="" animal="" arachidonic="" are="" as="" bacon="" barbecued="" based="" both="" butter="" by="" changes="" compared="" composition="" concentration="" consequently="" content.="" content="" contribute="" cooked="" cooking="" culinary="" cut.="" cuts.="" cuts="" decrease="" decreased="" depending="" detected="" did="" dish="" dishes.="" dishes="" double="" droplets="" due="" during="" easily="" eggs="" escalope="" et="" except="" explained="" extra-virgin="" fat.="" fat="" fatty="" fillet="" first="" followed="" food="" for="" former="" found="" from="" further="" generalized="" gerber="" hand="" higher="" in="" increase="" increases="" induces="" ingredient="" ingredients="" italian="" its="" less="" like="" linoleic="" lower="" main="" meat-based="" meat="" melting="" more="" most="" muscle="" necessary="" not="" observed="" of="" oil="" oleic="" olive="" on="" only="" or="" other="" p="" pan="" preparation="" presence="" pufa="" ranging="" raw="" released="" responsible="" saltimbocca="" significant="" significantly="" sirloin="" some="" stewed="" structural="" than="" that="" the="" this="" thus="" tissues="" to="" tonn="" top-side="" total="" traditional="" utilization="" utilize="" vegetable="" vitel="" was="" well="" were="" which="" with="" without="">
A recent study (Haak et al., 2007) found that pan-frying changed the fatty acid composition of pork meat depending on the type of culinary fat utilised. The recommended P/S ratio for a healthy diet is 0.45-0.65 (DEPT. of HEALTH, 1994). From a nutritional point of view total P/S ratio is thought to be of importance in relation to human health. The values of the P/S ratio found in this study ranged from 0.28 found in “saltimbocca” to a maximum value of 0.80 found in fillet cooked “in pan”.
Among the dishes analysed the most favourable P/S ratio was found in fillet and sirloin raw cuts and in top-side cooked as “escalope” which showed the highest reduction in SFA content upon cooking. The lowest P/S ratio was found in “saltimbocca”, the meat-based dish with the highest SFA level. Our findings agree with previous studies showing that in cooked meat this ratio generally increased (Ono et al., 1985; Gerber et al., 2009). The main differences in the balance among the three fatty acid classes in the recipes compared to raw meat reflected the observed modifications in individual fatty acid content.
In this study no major changes were observed among the three FA classes in the meat cuts cooked without added ingredients compared to the raw cut. In the dishes added with extra-virgin olive oil the ratio among SFA, MUFA and PUFA compared to raw meat was shifted in favour of MUFA. By contrast, the “saltimbocca” dish, which includes animal foods as main ingredients, showed the highest SFA content compared to the raw cut.
Vitamins
Thiamin content in raw veal cuts was slightly higher than that reported previously (Lombardi-Boccia et al., 2005), only trace amount of it was detected in raw sirloin but, after barbecuing, the marked water losses occurred made it detectable. The amount of riboflavin was markedly higher than that reported by Lombardi-Boccia et al. (2005) and by Gerber et al. (2009).
Vitamins content in meat-based dishes showed to be influenced by both dish composition and the severity of the adopted cooking methods. Among the three cuts analysed a significant increase in thiamin concentration was detected in “saltimbocca” (p<0 .001="" a="" and="" as="" bacon="" barbecued="" based="" both="" compared="" concentration="" concerned="" cooked="" decrease="" decreases="" detected="" dishes="" due="" escalope="" far="" fillet="" found="" ham="" hand="" in="" increases="" its="" meat="" observed="" of="" on="" other="" p="" pan="" presence="" probably="" raw="" riboflavin="" roasted="" saltimbocca="" significant="" sirloin="" the="" this="" to="" tonn="" vitamin="" vitel="" was="" were="" with="">
Niacin content resulted significantly higher in the dishes without added ingredients like fillet “in pan” and “barbecued” sirloin (p<0 .05="" a="" among="" and="" bacon="" based="" because="" both="" compared="" contribution="" cuts.="" detected="" dishes.="" dishes="" escalope="" fillet="" found="" ham="" in="" increases="" meat-based="" nbsp="" of="" otherwise="" p="" probably="" raw="" reduction="" roasted="" saltimbocca="" significant="" stewed="" the="" to="" top-side="" was="" were="" with="">
Among liposoluble vitamins only vitamin E was detectable; generally, a significant increase in vitamin E concentration was observed in the dishes including extra-virgin olive oil as main ingredient compared to the raw cut. This behaviour was detected in fillet “roasted with bacon” and “vitel tonnè” (both p<0 .001="" 2009="" a="" added="" al.="" amounts.="" and="" as="" because="" beef="" behaviour="" both="" compared="" content="" cooked="" cut.="" cuts="" detected="" differences="" dishes="" due="" e="" escalope="" especially="" et="" extra-virgin="" fillet="" from="" heat.="" in="" included="" ingredients="" like="" loss="" losses="" made="" masked="" meat-based="" meat="" most="" new="" not="" of="" oil="" olive="" only="" or="" p="" pan="" raw="" relevant="" reported="" showed="" significant="" similar="" sources="" stewed="" studied="" t-retinol="" the="" to="" trace="" up="" utilised="" vitamin="" vitamins="" voli="" was="" well="" which="" with="" without="">
Minerals
Data on mineral content in the raw veal cuts found in this study were in the range previously reported, although among trace elements Fe and Zn were found in lower amount (Lombardi-Boccia et al., 2005). The main differences between the raw cuts and the respective dishes were observed mainly in Na content. With the exception of the “in pan” and “barbecued” dishes which were the only ones without added ingredients, all the other dishes showed significant increases (p<0 .001="" 1.6="" 2002="" 2009="" 4.1mg="" 73="" 82="" 8="" a="" added="" addition="" additional="" agency="" al.="" all="" also="" always="" among="" amount="" an="" analysed="" anchovies="" and="" are="" as="" bacon="" barbecued="" based="" beef="" both="" by="" canned="" case="" compared="" composite="" concentration="" concerned="" content.="" content="" contrast="" cooked="" cu="" cut="" cuts.="" cuts="" dealing="" depending="" differences="" discretionary="" dish.="" dishes="" duration="" each="" element="" elements.="" elements="" escalope="" et="" explained="" far="" fe="" fillet="" fish="" food="" for="" found="" from="" g="" generally="" ham="" heat="" heme-iron="" heme="" higher="" highest="" in="" increase="" increased="" inducing="" ingredient="" ingredients="" inherent="" iron.="" iron="" is="" like="" loss="" made="" marked="" meat-based="" meat="" mg="" mn="" modified="" moisture="" most="" na="" new="" no="" non-heme="" observed="" of="" on="" one="" only="" or="" p="" pan="" presence="" previous="" raise="" ratio="" raw="" reductions="" related="" respective="" resulted="" rich="" roasted="" salt="" saltimbocca="" severity="" showed="" significantly="" sirloin="" some="" sources="" standards="" stewed="" strictly="" study="" such="" that="" the="" these="" this="" those="" to="" tonn="" top-side="" topside="" total="" trace="" treatment="" treatments="" tuna="" up="" veal="" vitel="" voli="" was="" well.="" were="" which="" with="" without="" yields="" zinc="">
Conclusions
Meat consumption greatly contributes to nutrient supply but also provides less healthier molecules like saturated fatty acids and cholesterol. However, cooking methods can lead to important modifications in nutrient dietary intakes when foods are consumed as composite dishes. Our findings pointed out that when meat is cooked without any additional ingredient (in pan or barbecue), the nutritional profile was minimally altered. The variety of both the ingredients which make up the dishes and the cooking methods contribute to modify the nutritional profile of the meat. Factors like type of cooking (moist and dry heating), temperature, cooking time and ingredients, deeply contribute to modify the forecast data about the nutrient intake level. For example the consumption of meat in composite dishes containing vegetable fat instead of animal fat as added ingredient can change favourably the profile of fatty acids. In this study the proportion of fatty acids in the meat-based dishes changed with respect to both raw meat and meat cooked without ingredients, being influenced by the culinary fat added: the presence of extra-virgin olive oil gave rise to a marked increase in monounsaturated fatty acids. Similarly, the inclusion of extra-virgin olive oil in the dishes increased also the levels of vitamin E beneficial to human health. At the same time, other ingredients of the meat-based dishes can lead to a raise in some unhealthy molecules, such as an increased level of sodium (due to discretionary salt) or cholesterol. Anyway, the knowledge of the changes in nutritionally interesting molecules (eg. fatty acids, heme-iron, vitamins, cholesterol) occurring upon cooking is of importance because it allows to get a correct calculation of their actual intake. From a nutritional point of view, to collect data on the nutrient profile of meat-based dishes representative of the diverse worldwide eating habits has a relevant nutritional significance. This represents the most appropriate basis for reliable information on the actual nutrient intake and can be a proper and useful tool to formulate more accurate diets.
By M. Lucarini, L. D’Evoli, S. Nicoli, A. Aguzzi, P. Gabrielli, G. Lombardi-Boccia (National Institute on Food and Nutrition Research,Rome,Italy, in "Italian Food Technology", n. 71, April 2013, Chiriotti Editori,Torino. Adapted and illustrated to be posted by Leopoldo Costa.