WATER TRANSPORT IN MEAT DURING REHEATING

A study of heat and water transport in meat during a heating process w as conducted. The meat samples were heated from 10 to 100 degrees C in a conventional oven at 175 degrees C and local water content and temp eratures were measured during the heating process. Using whole meat fr om bovine muscles, the mechanism behind water transport inside the sam ple during heating was investigated The anisotropy of meat in terms of heat and water transport was also studied. The study yielded two main results: When heating commences, water moves cowards the centre of th e samples. At a centre temperature of similar to 70 degrees C, water t ransport stops and changes direction. A theory for transport phenomena has been developed and is described in this paper. The results also i ndicate that, as expected, both water transport and heat transport are faster parallel to the meat fibres than perpendicular to them. Copyri ght (C) 1996 Elsevier Science Limited.