Protein is the dominant component in meat. Meat is rich in the essential amino acids – lysine, leucine, isoleucine and sulfur containing amino acids and in this sense meat is a high quality protein.
Meat is composed of three tissue: muscle tissue, connective tissue and adipose tissue. Inside the muscle tissue cell membrane, there are myofibrils containing alternating thin and thick protein filaments, namely the actin and myosin, which contract and relax in the living animal.
Myofibrils are the main component of meat structures which occupy about 70% of the volume of meat.
Connective tissue is made up of protein and mucopolysaccharides. It is located throughout the muscle and determines the degree of meat tenderness.
Collagen is the most abundant protein found in mammals – in bone, cartilage, tendons, and ligament, enveloping muscle groups and separating muscle layers. The collagen content of meat and meat products is often of particular interest to food processors because it alters batter gelation properties.
The meat proteins, especially myosin, actin and to some extend tropomyosin, are the main water binding components in muscular tissue.
Interactions between meat proteins and water significantly affect the textural properties of meat. Approximately 97% of the water holding capacity of meat is related to the myofibrillar protein fraction.
Protein meats contain small quantities of carbohydrates. When protein are heated to about 154 °C the amino acids in the proteins chains react with carbohydrate molecules and undergo a complex chemical reaction which resulted they turn brown and develop richer flavors. This reactions is called Maillard reaction.
Meat protein
