title: In situ imaging highlights local structural changes during heating: the case of meat.
abstract: Understanding and monitoring deformation and water content changes in meat during cooking is of prime importance. We show the possibilities offered by nuclear magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for the in situ dynamic measurement of deformation fields and water content mapping during beef heating from 20 to 75 °C. MRIs were acquired during heating, and image registration was used to calculate the deformation field. The temperature distribution in the sample was simulated numerically to link structural modifications and water transfer to temperature values. During heating, proton density decreases because of a magnetic susceptibility drop with temperature and water expulsion due to muscle contraction. A positive relationship was found between local cumulative deformation and water content. This new approach makes it possible to identify the deformation field and water transfer simultaneously and to trace thermal history to build heuristic models linking these parameters.
authors.affiliation: INRA,  UR370 Qualité des Produits Animaux  F-63122 Saint-Genès-Champanelle, France.
authors.forename: Mustapha
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bouhrara
authors.forename: Sylvie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Clerjon
authors.forename: Jean-Louis
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Damez
authors.forename: Alain
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kondjoyan
authors.forename: Jean-Marie
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Bonny
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D055598:Chemical Phenomena; D005511:Food Handling; D005524:Food Technology; D006358:Hot Temperature; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008460:Meat / Q000032:analysis*; D014867:Water / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D014867:Water