Effects of Fat Content and Heat Treatment on the Chemical and Sensory Characteristics of Canned Luncheon Meat

Canned luncheon meat made from beef and poultry was prepared with either a low (about 9%) or high (about 16%) fat content and subjected to heating at 105, 115 or 121oC, which were designed to give an F value of about 3.4. After heat processing and storage of cans at 30oC for 14 days, no viable microbes were recovered from any of treatment products. Proximate chemical composition showed that low-fat group had a significantly higher (p 0.05) moisture content and a lower protein content than the corresponding high-fat products, while pH values ranged from 6.59 to 6.61 and were not significantly different for the treatments. There was no clear distinction between low- and high-fat products with regard to oxidative rancidity, little effect of either fat content or treatment temperature on protein denaturation. Low-fat formulation, heated at 105oC, was the best in relation to sensory characteristics, microbiologically safe and shelf-stable