Exploring the impacts of two heating methods on meat quality from generalized additive models

This study explored how boiling and microwave heating affect meat quality using Generalized Additive Models (GAM). Fresh longissimus dorsi muscles from pork and beef were analyzed to identify factors influencing meat shear force. Microwave heating achieved a core temperature of 75 ℃ in 110 s, significantly faster than boiling (525 s). Both methods reduced pork moisture, and boiling caused higher cooking loss. Microwave heating induced excessive myofibrillar protein denaturation, increasing shear force. Fat and protein content decreased in pork during heating, while free amino acids declined rapidly initially (0 to 1 min). Color parameters ( L* , b* ) increased and a* decreased with prolonged heating. The GAM identified meat type, moisture, fat, and protein content as key factors influencing shear force. Pork exhibited lower shear force than beef, with higher moisture and fat content. In the 30 %−32 % protein range, the shear force values were higher for both meats. The GAM model effectively predicted shear force with high predictive power ( R p = 0.92) and low root mean square error of prediction ( RMSE p = 9.97). This study demonstrated the efficacy of GAM in elucidating the complex relationships between meat quality attributes and processing parameters, providing a robust analytical framework for food-processing applications. • Boiling heating was compared to microwave heating on meat tenderness using GAMs. • Microwave heating led to higher shear forces due to rapid denaturation. • Meat type, moisture, fat, and protein content significantly affected shear force. • GAM model accurately predicted shear force ( R p = 0.92, RMSE p = 9.97). • The GAM model can help optimise food processing.