Comparative determination of trimethylamine in fresh beef samples marketed in Kaduna metropolis

Abstract

An investigation was carried out to determine the concentration of trimethylamine (TMA) in fresh samples of beef purchased from markets within Kaduna metropolis namely: Central Market, Sabo Market and Kawo Market. The analysis was carried out using spectrophotometry in which the levels of trimethylamine in 100 g of each sample was determined at 3 hours interval for 12 hours. It was observed that the concentration of trimethylamine in the beef samples increased with storage time. The concentration of TMA in beef bought from Central Market increased from 0.65 to 10.60, that of Sabo Market increased from 0.66 to 9.43 while that of Kawo Market increased from 5.75 to 12.93 after storage for 12 hours.

Keywords: Trimethylamine, Kaduna Metropolis, Chilling, Microbiological Safety, Beef Botulism.