Determination of Hydroxyproline in Meat Products: Collaborative Study

Meat Products: Collaborative Study D,q,vlo. A. JoN,qs .qNo Rocrn Wooo Ministty of Agricubure, Fisheries and Food, Great Westminster House, Horseferry Road, London SWI P 2AE A method for determination ofthe amino-acid hydroxyproline (rvhich is used as a measure of collagen) in meat products has been collaboratively tested among 26 laboratories. It was found in this trial that the repeatability and reproduci- bility increase with increasing mean hydroxyproline content. and at a mean hydroxyproline content of 0 ,13 per cent.. the repeatabilit-v and reproducibility are 0.13 and 0 25 per cent.. respectively. whereas at a mean hydroxyproline content of 12 per cent., these values are 0 62 and 1 26 per cent . respectively. Introduction In its report on Meat Productsr the Food Standards Committee recommended that any new Regulations to control the composition of meat products should contain a 10 per cent. limit on the amount of connective tissue which would be permitted to count towards the calculated lean meat content. Existing Regulations restrict the amount of skin, rind and gristle that can count towards the meat content of a meat product to that naturally associated with the flesh used