A study on the nutritional composition and shelf-life of Hanwoo cattle bone items during retail display

Increasing the use and cycling of meat by-products is essential to increase economic benefits and reduce environmental pollution. Among the meat by-products, bones are widely used as food for human consumption and are important raw materials in other related industries (e.g., pharmaceuticals). However, their shelf-life during storage and nutritional composition have not been evaluated. The main objective of this study was to assess the collagen content, amino acid and fatty acid composition, and shelf-life of bones during refrigerated storage. For this study, the leg, brisket, and pelvic bones of Hanwoo cattle collected 24 h after slaughter were used. The bones were prepared into 1 cm thick pieces, placed on trays, overwrapped with plastic film, and stored at 4 °C for 21 days. The samples were then analyzed for aerobic plate count (APC), color, total volatile basic nitrogen (TVBN), lipid oxidation, collagen, amino acid, and fatty acid composition. After 21 d of storage, the APC increased faster in brisket bone (by 5.67 log₁₀ CFU/cm²). Brisket bone also showed a faster increase in TVBN (by 16.79 mg/100 g) and TBARS (by 4.08 mg malondialdehyde/kg) compared to other remaining bones after 21 d of storage. The a* (redness) values significantly decreased with increased storage time in all the bones. The total collagen and essential amino acid contents ranged among the bones from 7.09 to 7.54 g/100 g and 501.92 to 853.20 mg/100 g, respectively. The unsaturated fatty acid (UFA) content among the bones varied from 46.75% to 52.38%.