Why Is There Water in The Meat and Poultry Container?
By Pierre Mouchette | Real Property Experts LLC
By Pierre Mouchette | Real Property Experts LLC
Naturally Occurring Water in Meat and Poultry
Meat and poultry are composed of naturally occurring water (75%), muscle (20%), connective tissue, fat, and bone (5%). The actual percentage of water can vary depending on the type of muscle, the kind of meat, the season of the year, and the pH of the meat. Fat in meat is found both between muscles and within muscles. In both locations, fat contributes to the overall flavor and juiciness in meats.
Leaner Meat Contains More Water
Leaner meat contains more protein and less fat. Since water is a component of protein (but not fat), a leaner cut will contain slightly more water on a per weight basis.
Meat Taste Different from What It Use Too
Today, animals are bred to be leaner. Meat from these animals is naturally leaner and contains more water. The fat in meat contributes to flavor, so a leaner cut will taste different than a fattier cut.
Freezing Meat and Poultry
When meat and poultry are frozen, the water that is a natural component of all meats turns to solid ice crystals and water expands when it freezes. The sharp-edged crystals push into the surrounding tissue, rupturing the cells. The water that is outside the cell membrane freezes first and as it does, it leeches water from inside the cell membranes. When the meat thaws, the original balance does not return to normal and the thawed product will have lost some of its natural springiness. The water released during freezing seeps out of the thawing meat and poultry into the container.
The faster meat and poultry freezes, the smaller the ice crystals will be. Smaller ice crystals will do less damage. Products that are flash-frozen by the manufacturer will have superior quality to fresh products frozen by the consumer.
Moisture Loss from Meat and Poultry
Meat and poultry are transported from slaughter and processing plants in refrigerated trucks. Although the product may not be frozen solid, it is in a semi-frozen or ‘hard-chilled’ state. Any moisture that is in the product is held inside.
At the grocery store, the products are displayed in refrigerator cases as cold as 26° F. At this temperature, the cells of the product will relax and some of the moisture will melt and gradually seep out. This seepage is known in the industry as weep or purge. It occurs during display of retail cuts, during shipment of wholesale cuts, and during storage of cuts prior to shipment. In a home refrigerator set at 40 °F or below, even more liquid will seep out of the product. The longer a product sits in the refrigerator, the more liquid will be released from the muscle cells.
Packaging of Meat and Poultry
Some meat and poultry products are vacuum-packed to prolong their storage life. These products are packaged in air-and leak-proof packages under vacuum, and, in some cases, a gas will be pumped into the package to preserve flavor and quality. While the package sits in the refrigerator case, the vacuum is still in effect, extracting the juices out of the meat. Because these packages are airtight and leak proof, the juices accumulate in the package. In contrast, the plastic wrapped packaging, typically used by most supermarkets, allows a certain amount of evaporation.
FSIS Regulations and Policies Relative to Retained Water
Meat and poultry naturally contain moisture and may also contain moisture retained from post-evisceration processing. During processing, recently slaughtered animal carcasses and their organ meats (hearts, livers, kidneys, etc.) are chilled to cool them down to a safe temperature. The absorption of water used for post-evisceration processing is called "retained water" or "absorbed water." If the carcasses or parts have absorbed such water, the amount of water by percentage along with the terms "retained water" or "absorbed water," (e.g., "up to X% retained water," or "may contain up to X% retained water" or "with X% absorbed water") must be stated on the label.
Establishments may include a "no-retained-water" statement on the label when the product has not been exposed to a post-evisceration process that adds water, or the establishment has data or information that establishes that the post-evisceration processing used does not add water to the product.
Meat and poultry are composed of naturally occurring water (75%), muscle (20%), connective tissue, fat, and bone (5%). The actual percentage of water can vary depending on the type of muscle, the kind of meat, the season of the year, and the pH of the meat. Fat in meat is found both between muscles and within muscles. In both locations, fat contributes to the overall flavor and juiciness in meats.
Leaner Meat Contains More Water
Leaner meat contains more protein and less fat. Since water is a component of protein (but not fat), a leaner cut will contain slightly more water on a per weight basis.
Meat Taste Different from What It Use Too
Today, animals are bred to be leaner. Meat from these animals is naturally leaner and contains more water. The fat in meat contributes to flavor, so a leaner cut will taste different than a fattier cut.
Freezing Meat and Poultry
When meat and poultry are frozen, the water that is a natural component of all meats turns to solid ice crystals and water expands when it freezes. The sharp-edged crystals push into the surrounding tissue, rupturing the cells. The water that is outside the cell membrane freezes first and as it does, it leeches water from inside the cell membranes. When the meat thaws, the original balance does not return to normal and the thawed product will have lost some of its natural springiness. The water released during freezing seeps out of the thawing meat and poultry into the container.
The faster meat and poultry freezes, the smaller the ice crystals will be. Smaller ice crystals will do less damage. Products that are flash-frozen by the manufacturer will have superior quality to fresh products frozen by the consumer.
Moisture Loss from Meat and Poultry
Meat and poultry are transported from slaughter and processing plants in refrigerated trucks. Although the product may not be frozen solid, it is in a semi-frozen or ‘hard-chilled’ state. Any moisture that is in the product is held inside.
At the grocery store, the products are displayed in refrigerator cases as cold as 26° F. At this temperature, the cells of the product will relax and some of the moisture will melt and gradually seep out. This seepage is known in the industry as weep or purge. It occurs during display of retail cuts, during shipment of wholesale cuts, and during storage of cuts prior to shipment. In a home refrigerator set at 40 °F or below, even more liquid will seep out of the product. The longer a product sits in the refrigerator, the more liquid will be released from the muscle cells.
Packaging of Meat and Poultry
Some meat and poultry products are vacuum-packed to prolong their storage life. These products are packaged in air-and leak-proof packages under vacuum, and, in some cases, a gas will be pumped into the package to preserve flavor and quality. While the package sits in the refrigerator case, the vacuum is still in effect, extracting the juices out of the meat. Because these packages are airtight and leak proof, the juices accumulate in the package. In contrast, the plastic wrapped packaging, typically used by most supermarkets, allows a certain amount of evaporation.
- Retained Water in Raw Poultry Products - poultry is not injected with water, but some water is absorbed during cooling in a ‘chill-tank,’ a large vat of cold moving water. The chill-tank lowers the temperature of the slaughtered birds and their giblets (hearts, livers, gizzards, etc.). During this water chilling process, turkeys and chickens will absorb some of the water, and this amount must be conspicuously declared on the label. It is not unusual for poultry to declare 8 to 12% retained water on the label.
- Retained Water in Raw Meat Products - beef is rinsed during slaughter, but the small amount of water used is usually absorbed on the surface of the meat, not bound to the protein or inside the tissue, and quickly evaporates or drips out. Meat processors will periodically shower red meat carcasses to minimize moisture loss or ‘shrink’ that occurs in the cooler prior to processing. Beef carcasses and their parts cooled with water during post-evisceration processing must be appropriately labeled with the retained water statement.
- Beef is often ground while partially frozen. Because ice crystals are in the frozen beef, there may appear to be more liquid in it.
FSIS Regulations and Policies Relative to Retained Water
Meat and poultry naturally contain moisture and may also contain moisture retained from post-evisceration processing. During processing, recently slaughtered animal carcasses and their organ meats (hearts, livers, kidneys, etc.) are chilled to cool them down to a safe temperature. The absorption of water used for post-evisceration processing is called "retained water" or "absorbed water." If the carcasses or parts have absorbed such water, the amount of water by percentage along with the terms "retained water" or "absorbed water," (e.g., "up to X% retained water," or "may contain up to X% retained water" or "with X% absorbed water") must be stated on the label.
Establishments may include a "no-retained-water" statement on the label when the product has not been exposed to a post-evisceration process that adds water, or the establishment has data or information that establishes that the post-evisceration processing used does not add water to the product.
19-05-21