Effect of high-pressure treatment on lipid oxidation in turkey thigh muscle during chill storage

Formation of secondary lipid oxidation products during chill storage of vacuum-packed (99% vacuum), pressure-treated turkey thigh muscle was found to depend on working pressure (pressure range up to 500 MPa at 10 degrees C) and to a lesser degree on pressurization time (10 and 30 min), Pressure treatment at 400 MPa and lower pressures for 30 min (and for 10 min) resulted in less formation of thiobarbituric-acid-reactive substances (TBARS) during 6 days of storage at 5 degrees C compared to heat treatment at 100 degrees C for 10 min, while pressure treatment at 500 MPa for 30 min gave similar development of TBARS as did the heat treatment. The formation of TBARS during storage at 5 degrees C was found to depend exponentially on the pressure used for treatment at both 10 min and 30 min, and apparent volumes of activation are proposed as a parameter for quantification of the effects of pressure on lipid oxidation in meat during subsequent storage.