Abstract Meat products are important sources of dietary cholesterol and saturated fat. The serum cholesterol level, which is considered a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, reportedly increases with higher intake of saturated fats and cholesterol. In this study, the effect of different cooking procedures on the cholesterol, fat, and moisture contents on wet and dry bases of selected meat products was investigated. After frying the cholesterol content of lamb (p<0.05), tail fat (p>0.05), and beef fried with or without olive oil (p<0.05) increased. However, sucuks (Turkish dry-fermented sausages) fried with or without olive oil exhibited lower (p<0.05) cholesterol content compared to the initial values. After barbequing the cholesterol content of lamb kebab (p>0.05) and hot spicy lamb kebab (p>0.05) decreased, while the cholesterol content of liver kebab (p<0.05) increased. The fat content of lamb (p<0.05) and beef fried with (p<0.05) or without olive oil (p>0.05) increased, whereas the fat content of tail fat (p<0.05) and sucuks fried with or without olive oil (p>0.05) decreased. The fat content of kebabs did not change significantly (p>0.05) after barbequing. Regardless of the meat product or cooking procedure, the cholesterol and fat contents on dry basis exhibited a significant decrease (p<0.05) after cooking.

Abstract Beta vulgaris L. var. rapa is a variety of beet with edible dark green leaves and stalks, which is a close relative of Swiss chard. It is widely consumed in central Anatolia region in Turkey due to its high nutritional value and desirable sensory attributes. Locally known as ‘pezik’, Beta vulgaris L. var. rapa is a highly perishable vegetable. The stalks of pezik are consumed as pickle, allowing longer consumption of this vegetable. In this study, Weibull hazard analysis was applied to the sensory data to determine the shelf life of pezik pickles. The end of shelf life was indicated by the time when 50% of the panelists found the pickles unacceptable. Pickles blanched for 7 min and stored at 17-18 °C were found to have a shelf life of 167 days with 95% confidence limits of 156-179 days. Prolonged blanching (9 min.) decreased the shelf life of pickles by about 19 days.