ROLE OF PROTEINS AND PEPTIDES IN MEAT FLAVOR

Human flavor perception is elicited by neurological response to the actions and interactions of food lipids, proteins, and carbohydrates. Since the main chemical component of muscle foods (meats) are proteins, this research focused on studying the impact of beef proteins and peptides on flavor. Postmortem aging, end-point cooking temperature, storage-after-cooking, factors related to meat structure and handling methods, all affect the protein and peptide composition of beef, thereby affecting meat flavor. Lipid oxidation (LO) and the free radicals generated during LO are involved both directly and indirectly in several of these changes. Experiments using a low molecular weight peptide found in beef (BMP, a beef flavor enhancer) indicate that a correlation exists between BMP loss and LO; the loss of BMP is a secondary result of LO-stimulated proteolysis. Other data presented in this manuscript led to the proposal of a taste receptor model that relates peptide structure to taste perception.