Dimensional considerations of test pieces for belly-flop angles test of fat softness

PALACIO MARIA INES; LATORRE M. EMILIA; DIAZ MAURICIO D; PURSLOW PETER

Cork

Congreso; 63rd International Congress of Meat Science and Technology to be held in Cork, Ireland; 2017

The belly-flop angle test is a simple measure for determining the softness of fat in pork bellies. This study analyses the belly-flop angle test from simple beam-bending theory and highlights the relationships between angular deflection, test piece dimensions, stiffness and intrinsic characteristics of the sample, based on simple engineering terms. Results indicate a positive correlation between belly-flop angle versus belly thickness and fat melting point. Belly thickness was also related to melting point in our test specimens. By correcting the results for specimen dimensions, a more accurate relationship between belly-flop angle and fat stiffness can be obtained.