Comparative study of low-field NMR relaxation measurements and two traditional methods in the determination of water holding capacity of pork.

The correlation between transverse relaxation, T(2,) and water holding capacity (WHC) determined either by Honikels bag method (Honikel, 1998) or centrifugation has been investigated in meat samples from m. longissimus dorsi (LD) 24 h post mortem from 74 pigs. Bi-exponential analysis of the transverse relaxation, T(2), showed highly significant correlations between both the two NMR time constants (T(21),T(22)) and water holding capacity determined by both Honikels bag method (r(T(21))=-0.72 and r(T(22))=0.77) and centrifugation (r(T(21))-0.50 and r(T(22))=0.75). This shows that transverse relaxation measurement is an efficient method for determination of water holding capacity in pork. Significant correlations were also found between T(21) and T(22) measured 24 h post mortem and pH measured at various time post mortem. This indicates that transverse relaxation, T(2), reflects pH-induced structural changes occurring in muscles post mortem.