Iron, Zinc and α -Tocopherol Content of Bovine Hemopoietic Marrow

Marrow was obtained from trimmed bovine cervical vertebrae by refrigerated centrifugation so that its moisture, protein, fat, iron, zinc and α -tocopherol content could be determined. Fatty marrow from the shaft of femurs was also analyzed for α -tocopherol which is located in the membrane and bulk oil portions of the adipose cell. Hemopoietic marrow from cervical vertebrae, fatty marrow from femurs and lean from the vertebrae averaged 16%, 86% and 1% ether extract, respectively, but the variability for hemopoietic marrow was high. The high fat variability probably contributed to a range of 10.0–34.0 mg iron/100 g of fresh hemopoietic marrow. However, even the lowest iron value in hemopoietic marrow was much higher than it is in muscle. Hence, part of the increase in iron in mechanically recovered meat, when compared to hand-boned meat, is beneficial nutritionally but it could increase lipid oxidation. Zinc was lower in hemopoietic marrow than it was in muscle but means for α -tocopherol in hemopoietic marrow, fatty marrow and muscle did not differ (P>0.05). In contrast to iron, neither zinc nor α -tocopherol can be used to support the claim that marrow is a rich source of nutrients and neither would be expected to alter the processing characteristics of meat containing marrow.