monday, October 16, 1978
daily nebraskan
page 1 1
Homecoming mixes royal smiles andaK-State crusher
The jubilation of being crowned
UNL's 1978 homecoming queen was
displayed Saturday afternoon as Mary
Fastenau beamed her obvious delight.
Fastenau, a regent's scholar and
member of Alpha Chi Omega sorority,
is a junior journalism major and Daily
Nebraskan reporter.
Crowned king was Tim Martin,
a junior business administration major
and member of Phi Kappa Psi fraternity.
A crowd of 75,818 fans witnessed
the royal coronation as the Huskers
responded with a lopsided romp over
league foe, Kansas State.
The last time UNL lost a home
coming game was to Kansas State in
1968.
' "' " 111 mmm " 11 - - i ff I Photo by Bob Pearson
Photo by Jerry McBride
East Campus' meat lab undertakes new animal research
By Sue Brown
While consumers continue to buy and
tenderize red meat products, the Loeffel
Meat Lab on east campus has been
researching mechanical and chemical ways
to tenderize meat, according to an assist
ant professor of animal science.
Prof. Dennis Olson, whose job includes
70 percent research and 30 percent
teaching said that although the lab does
engage in carcass study of animals, its
emphasis is in the area of .-neat processing.
According to Olson, ti.e connective
tissue and contractor proteins determine
the tenderness of the meat. This tender
ness can be measured by the instrori, a
machine located at the plant.
The mstron, named for the company
that makes the machine, measures the
physical properties of any material. Costing
about $33,000. its application to the food
area is a new objective way in which to
neasure meat tenderness.
Another way of measuring meat tender
ness deals with the minerals of iron and
inc in a process called X-ray fluorescence
The content of iron earned in the
bloodstream is higher among older animals,
leading to toughter connective tissues
between the muscles.
Zinc present
High imounts of zinc are present in
animals with enzyme systems in good
working order. Such animals have been
found tc be younger, which can mean
better meat quality, Olson said.
This theory of low iron-high zinc re
lating to more tender meat has been
patented, however, according to Olson, the
research continues development.
The lab also uses both trained and con
sumer meat tasting panels to judge meat
desirability and tenderness.
Olson explained a mechanical meat
tenderization process which allows tiny
needles to puncture the connective tissues
of the meat as well as chemical processes
which add enzymes to the meat in an
effort to tenderize it.
One of the well-known ways of measur
ing meat tenderness is the USDA grading
system which, according to Olson, is
not a good system in the prediction of
eating quality. "It is simply a marketing
system for live animals." he said.
The range from too tender to not tender
enough is "really quite small." he said.
"To guarantee a good piece of meat every
time is a er large task."
For the past five or six years, the lab
has been working on an alternative to
grinding meat by putting small pieces of
meat of all sizes together and forming it
into various shapes. The meat is bonded
together by a combination of salt and
pressure. According to Olson, the meat has,
"a better mouth feel, it chews more like
a steak."
The process allows complete uniformity
of the meat as well as more use of the
carcass.
Institutional level
The lab has recently been putting to
gether larger chunks of meat (one to two
inches) in an effort to make the meat look
more desirable. Olson said he feels that this
type of meat may have more appeal at
the institutional level, to the military ser
vices, penitentiaries or hospitals rather
than on the retail level.
With the emphasis on food and
nutrition in the past three or four years.
Olson said that the lab has done research
on the relation between sodium chloride
in meat products to hypertension and high
blood pressure.
"There's a lot of salt in processed
meat," Olson said, referring particularly
to bacon. ham, and sausage.
Experimenting with a bologna product.
Olson reports that the lab was able to pro
duce a bologna with a 50 percent reduc
tion in salt, as well as maintaining the
texture, flavor and shelf-life by replacing
the sodium.
"We must be concerned with flavor
problems; the lower the salt, the lower
the desire," Olson said.
According to the assistant professor, if
the government restricts the amount of
salt to be used in processed meats, certain
products might have to be taken off the
market.
With continued research in this area,
Olson said he feels that the lab will be
"ahead of the game" if such a restriction
is passed.
The meat lab research is funded in part
by appropriated funds from the state.
"Although it is a small part, it is money
we can always count on," Olson said.
Other funds come in the form of grants
from such organizations as the Nebraska
Pork Producers, Nebraska Beef Improve
ment Foundation and National Pork
Producers Council.
Olson who said he feels UNL was one of
the strongest meat labs in the country.
He received his undergraduate educa
tion at Iowa State and has been at UNL
for two vears.