EFFECT OF AQUEOUS CHLORINE (600 PPM) ON THE PROTEIN AND THE LIPID FRACTIONS OF GROUND BEEF

Ground beef was exposed to aqueous chlorine (600 ppm) for 15 min. to determine whether such exposure might result in the incorporation of organic chlorine into fatty acids or amino acids. Gas liquid chromatography using flame ionization detection (FID) and electron capture detection (ECD) were utilized to evaluate the phospholipid and free fatty acid-glyceride fractions of the ground beef samples. Analysis by FID suggested that the percentage composition of linoleic, linolenic and arachidonic acids was lower in the phospholipid fraction of the meat samples treated with chlorine. This can be seen by a reduction in peaks for these fatty acids with a concomitant increase in percentage of compounds with a retention time similar to oleic acid. The difference, however, when compared to the control was not significant. The ECD analysis of the free fatty acid-glyceride fraction indicated formation of chlorinated compounds. The total chlorine content of the treated protein fraction increased as a result of the treatment; but, as reported by others, we are not certain whether the chloride was present as organic chloride or as an inorganic salt. These findings are of importance to the continued use of chlorine as a sanitizer in meat plants because it describes methodology for detecting chloride residues in lipid and protein fractions and indicates that some lipids and possibly some amino acids do react with chlorine.