Quantitative determination of texturised soya protein by a stereological technique

Abstract

A method for the determination of texturised soya protein in comminuted meat products is proposed. The microscopical technique described is stereological and uses a 42-point Weibel graticule on 10-µm sections of meat-soya mixtures stained with toluidine blue contained in an aqueous mountant. Results are presented in terms of volume in volume fractions. The accuracy of the method depends largely on the number of points counted and an equation is suggested for determining the number to be counted for a given accuracy. The method can be used for other constituents of comminuted meats, e.g., rind and rusk, and is applicable to any thin sections of material in which the constituents are sufficiently contrasted.