Analysis of the impact of determinants of kosherness on the content of macro- and microelements in beef

There are no studies in the literature that comprehensively present the impact of factors related only to kosher slaughter on the content of minerals in beef. Therefore, learning the impact of such kosher determinants of beef as follows: no stunning during slaughter, cattle category, muscle, or the so-called kosher treatment for mineral content in beef has an original character. In this connection, the aim of the research was a comprehensive analysis of the impact of kosher determinants (slaughter type, muscle, cattle category, and technological treatment) on the content of selected macro- and microelements in beef. On the content of minerals in muscles obtained from beef carcasses, the statistically significant (p < .05) impact was found in the case of slaughter type for such elements as: K, P, and Na. Higher content of phosphorus, potassium, and sodium was found in muscles of heifers and bulls from standard slaughter, compared with the amount of these elements determined in muscles of cattle from kosher slaughter. In turn, statistically significant (p < .05) impact of cattle sex was confirmed only in the case of iron and molybdenum content in beef. Higher amounts of these elements were determined in muscle from heifer carcasses (excluding the molybdenum content in MLT muscle of heifer carcasses from kosher slaughter). The process of koshering (soaking in brine) causes approximately 10-fold increase in the amount of sodium in beef, regardless of the muscle or gender of cattle. The statistically significant impact of muscle was confirmed only in the case of zinc content. In the authors' own research, there was found no statistically significant impact of the interaction effects between the analyzed factors (S × G, S × M, G × M, and S × G × M) on the content of particular mineral components.