CHANGES liSr FEESH BEEF DURING COLD STORAGE. 



69 



There are marked apparent decreases in the ash content of the 

 round and rump, and a slight gain in that of the loin during storage. 

 These large decreases must be regarded with suspicion. 



On account of the suspicious character of the data for ash, positive 

 value can not be assigned to those for organic extractives. 



Increases in acidity are fairly marked and are greater than those 

 wliich took place in any of the previous cold-storage experiments. 



Table 44 shows the changes in the composition of the fat that took 

 place during storage. The most important changes were very marked 

 increases in the acidity of the external and the kidney fats, and 

 an appreciable increase in that of the intermuscjjlar fat. The increase 

 in the acidity of the kidney fat was nearly twice as great, and that 

 of the external fat was three times as great, as the corresponding 

 increases in acidity in the preceding experiment. The increase in the 

 acidity of the intermuscular fat was only slightly greater than in the 

 preceding experiment. The kidney and external fats were of very 

 poor quality, while the intermuscular fat w^as of fair quality. 



Table 44. — Composition of fat. 



Serial 

 No. 



Description of sample. 



Storage 

 period. 



lodin 

 num- 

 ber. 



Refract- 

 ive 

 index 

 40°C. 



Per 



cent 

 acidity 

 as oleic 



acid. 



Ran- 

 cidity. 



Physical 

 characters. 



47 

 72 



Kidney fat: Left hind quarter 



Kidney fat: Eight hind quarter. . 



D. 



2 



76 



H. 

 22 

 21 



39.85 

 38.21 



1.4562 

 1.4555 



0.34 

 8.04 



Neg 



...do 



Normal. 



Dark y el 1 o w ; 

 strong, sour 

 odor; very 

 strong flavor. 



48 



Intermuscular fat: Left hind 



quarter. 

 Intermascular fat; Right hind 



quarter. 



2 



22 



44.70 



1. 4566 



.28 



...do.... 



Normal. 



73 



76 



21 



44.03 



1. 4562 



1.70 



...do.... 



Normal odor; 

 comparatively 

 sweet flavor. 



49 

 74 



External fat: Left hind quarter. . . 

 External fat: Right hind quarter. 



2 



76 



22 

 21 



50.76 

 50.21 



1. 4.570 

 1.4560 



.34 

 10.86 



...do.... 

 ...do.... 



Normal. 



Dark yellow; 

 strong, sour 

 odor; strong 

 disagreeable 

 flavor. 



Table 45 shows the distribution of the nitrogen and the phosphorus 

 upon the basis of 100 parts of the respective constituents in the meat 

 at the beginning of the .storage period. 



There are api^reciable decrea.ses in total nitrogen that range from 

 5.72 per cent in the case of the loin to 1.44 per cent in the case of 

 the rumj). These data confirm the losses in total nitrogen that were 

 (observed in carcasses Nos. 2, '}, and 4; carcass No. 1 alone having 

 shown slight apparent gains. The regular occurrence of a decrease 

 in tlie total nitrogen content of the k^an nu^at from 4 carcasses 

 stored for periods ranging from 28 to 74 days would appear to in- 

 dicate an actual loss of nitrogen from the meat during storage. 



