A master's thesis in the Department of Animal Production at the College of Agriculture at the University of Basra investigated the effect of adding gelatin-enriched lemon peel extract to the preservation of beef meatballs during refrigeration and freezing on some qualitative and sensory attributes.
The thesis, presented by graduate student Iman Hassan Abdul Zahra and supervised by Assistant Professor Dr. Ghaida Ali Makki, aimed to determine the role of lemon peel extract in preserving beef meatballs during refrigeration and freezing, on sensory and qualitative attributes.
The thesis included two experiments. The first involved refrigerated storage at 4°C, using lemon peel extract at concentrations of 0.5%, 1%, 1.5%, and 2%, to preserve beef meatballs. The second involved freezing at -18°C, and chemical tests were conducted.
The thesis concluded that there was a significant decrease in oxidation indicators in meatballs stored in refrigerated and frozen storage, and a decrease in microbial contamination indicators in meatball samples preserved in refrigerated and frozen storage when treated with different concentrations. It also led to a significant decrease in the physical properties of beef meatball samples during cooking.