METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR VERIFYING THE AGE OF AN AMINAL PROVIDING MEAT

摘要

The invention provides a method for verifying the age of an animal providing meat using volatile profiles that comprises the step of providing a sample of animal meat. The method uses one or more chemical analyses to obtain a profile of a set of volatile organic compounds from a sample of meat from an animal. The profile is fit to a mathematically discriminating function resulting. The data obtained is analyzed in order to establish a correlation between the age of the animal (tooth development) and volatiles exuded by meat.

主权项

1. A method for verifying the age of animal meats using volatile compounds profiles comprising the steps of:
obtaining a sample of meat of an animal; obtaining a homogenized sample of meat by finely cutting said sample of meat and eliminating all visible traces of fat; placing said homogenized sample meat in in a lower part of a vial having an hermetic septa and a head space; heating said vial to a temperature between 0 and 100° C. for between 1 and 500 minutes; obtaining a solid-phase micro-extraction fiber; introducing said solid-phase micro-extraction fiber into said septa of said vial; maintaining said solid-phase micro-extraction fiber in said vial's head space for at least 5 minutes; obtaining gases by desorbing in the point of injection of a gas chromatograph; separating said gases obtained in a chromatographic column using helium at a constant flow; obtaining a chromatogram having a plurality of chromatographic peaks representing volatile organic compounds; identifying said volatile organic compounds in said chromatogram; selecting a subset of said volatile organic compounds identified in said chromatogram, wherein the areas of said chromatogram corresponding to said subset are adjusted to a mathematically discriminating function; and obtaining an objective limit of tooth development of said animal using an output of said mathematically discriminating function.