ABSTRACT
I. INTRODUCTION Lipid oxidation is one of the major causes of quality deterioration in muscle foods following storage at refrigerated or frozen temperatures. Often seen in later stages of storage, quality losses are manifested through a variety of mechanisms, which are summarized in Table 1 [1-17]. Although lipid oxidation usually causes a decrease in consumer acceptance, in some cases lipid oxidation leads to enhancement of product quality. An example is the enzymatic production of fresh-fish aromas. This chapter reviews the fundamental mechanisms of lipid oxidation as they apply to muscle foods. Included in this review is a discussion of the impact of tissue structure and compositional factors on pathways, kinetics, and extent of oxidation. Also included is a section describing the effect of various food processing applications on lipid oxidation reactions. Throughout this chapter, the reader will be made aware of the multiple interactions among muscle constituents during the process of lipid oxidation. Therefore, a short review (Sec. III.G) details how mathematical models may be used to account for these interactions and indicates how shelf life predictions and conditions for optimal stability may be derived.
