Preliminary investigations on the effects of ageing and cooking on the Raman spectra of porcine longissimus dorsi.

The influence of ageing and cooking on the Raman spectrum of porcine longissimus dorsi was investigated. The rich information contained in the Raman spectrum was highlighted, with numerous changes attributed to changes in the environment and conformations of the myofibrillar proteins. Predictions equations for shear force and cooking loss were developed from the Raman spectra of both raw and cooked pork. Good correlations and standard errors of prediction were obtained for both WB shear force and cooking loss, with the raw and the cooked samples showing almost identical results R(2)=0.77, root mean standard error of prediction (RMSEP)% of mean=12% for shear force; R(2)=0.71, RMSEP% of mean=10% for cooking loss. The Raman spectra were also able to predict the extent of cooking that occurred within the pork (R(2)(val)=0.94, RMSEP% of range=5.5%). Raman spectroscopy has considerable potential as a method for non-destructive and rapid determination of pork quality parameters such as tenderness. Raman spectroscopy may provide a means of determining changes during cooking and the extent to which foods have been cooked.