Comparative study of low-field NMR relaxation measurements and two traditional methods in the determination of water holding capacity of pork

The correlation between transverse relaxation, T-2 and water holding capacity (WHC) determined either by Honikels bag method (Honikel, 1998) or centrifugation has been investigated in meat samples from m. longissimus dorsi (LD) 24 h post mortem from 74 pigs. Bi-exponential analysis of the transverse relaxation, T-2. Showed highly significant correlations between both the two NMR time constants (T-21,T-22) and water holding capacity determined by both Honikels bag method (r(T21) = -0.72 and r(T22) = 0.77) and centrifugation (r(T21) - 0.50 and r(T22) = 0.75). This shows that transverse relaxation measurement is an efficient method for determination of water holding capacity in pork. Significant correlations were also found between T-21 and T-22 measured 24 h post mortem and pH measured at various time post mortem. This indicates that transverse relaxation, T-2, reflects pH-induced structural changes occurring in muscles post mortem. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.