Analyzing beef sexing and sex-related compounds in meat: a problem of authentication

Sex analysis is not widely considered as variable into food research, even though the effect of sex on meat composition is sometimes reported. To foster excellence and social innovation in research and project design, the inclusion of sex as a variable could represent a key strategy. Lipid oxidation is one of the main degradation processes that can affect the overall quality of muscle foods. However, the cell membrane contains also cholesterol, which is prone to oxidation thus generating cholesterol oxidation products (COPs). COPs are largely studied since they are involved in lipid metabolism, various chronic and degenerative diseases. The aim of this preliminary study was to evaluate if the sex variable affects or not lipid and cholesterol oxidation in lamb meat.