Quantitative characterization of the diffusion behavior of sucrose in marinated beef by HSI and FEA

The quality of marinated meat could be assessed by the uniformity of marinade distribution within it. In this study, the diffusion behavior of sucrose inside the marinated beef was quantitatively characterized from 2D plane and 3D space using hyperspectral imaging (HSI) and finite element analysis (FEA), respectively. Visualization of sucrose content based on HSI showed that the distribution state of sucrose on marinated beef was not uniform. Subsequently, the diffusion behavior of sucrose in the 3D beef geometric model was simulated using FEA. Results revealed that the diffusion rate of sucrose on muscle tissues is significantly higher than other tissues, and the difference in diffusion behavior is the main reason for the inhomogeneous distribution of sucrose. The quantitative characterization of marinade diffusion behavior makes it possible to predict the marinade's transient distribution state, thereby determining the optimal marinade conditions for the meat. Therefore, the method proposed has practical significance for evaluating and regulating the quality of marinated meat products.