Running head: HOW TO SEPARATE FAT FROM MEAT 1

How to Separate Fat from Meat

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Institution

Abstract

The experiment was set up to show how fat can be separated from meat thorough the use of

extraction method. Extraction is a simple process that involves both purification and separation.

Wiley extractor and acetone are the main solvents used in the extraction of fats from meat.

Ground beef, sausage and salami were used in the experiment. The main aim was to get the

amount of fats in percentage that was extracted from the meat using the extraction method. The

cost of meat that was fat was calculated in terms of cents per lb. The total amount of ground meat

used was 5.35g which had 49.53% of fats. When the fats were removed, the weight dropped to

2.70g. The total amount of sausage was 5.35g which had 48.50% of fats. When the fats were
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removed, the weight dropped to 2.75g. The weight of salami was 3.85g which had 48.05% of

fats. When the fat was removed, the value dropped to 2.00g.

How to Separate Fat from Meat

Introduction

The experiment was set up in order to determine the amount of fats in the meat. The

actual amount of fat was to be calculated. Wiley extractor was the main substance used in this

experiment. It was used to separate meat and fat. The work of the triple beam balance is to

measure the mass of the meat, aluminum dish and thimble. Acetone is also used in this

experiment. Since meat protein is insoluble, it is separated from fats which is soluble in acetone.

After dissolving fat, the substance that remains is free from fats.
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The result is achieved because of the ability of acetone to boil and evaporate. Upon

cooling, it drips from the bottom of the cell. It is collected by use of siphon cup. Acetone can get

into flask through the use of siphon cup. The process was repeated until all the pieces of meat

was separated from fats. The process took around 17 minutes to end. In order to remove acetone

from meat, the use of oven was applied. The substances were put inside the oven for around 20

minutes. The main aim of this experiment was to ensure that the percentage of fat could be

calculated using mathematical formulas.

Definition of New Terms

Fat- This is a combination of three main macro nutrients. Carbohydrates and proteins are also

important nutrients that form the fats.

Acetone- This is a colorless organic compound which is versatile and flammable. It is also

known as ketone. The chemical formula is (CH3)2CO.

Wiley extractor- This is simply a type of utensil. It is made in such a way that it makes it

possible for fat to be separated from meat.

Chemical Normulas and Names

The following are the chemical names and symbols;

Flammable.

Colorless.

(CH3)2CO.

Building Process of the Wiley extractor units

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The Wiley extractor is a very simple structure. It is made from a flask which is filled with

50ml acetone. It also has a hot plate which is around 4 Degrees Celsius. In order to start off the

experiment, add one third of the meat to the thimble. You must ensure that the thimble is inserted

into the siphon cup. After that, the siphon cup must then be attached to the cooling cell. This can

be done using a wire. When this is done, place all the substances inside the flask. In order to

ensure that acetone is evaporated, the end of the siphon cup should be placed above acetone.

When the experiment was done, some important points were noticed. Half of the meat

increased in size. This is due to the fact that some fats were added on top. Ground beef was

49.43%, sausage was 48.50% while salami was 48.05%. The other issue we noticed during the

experiment was the rate at which the plate was heating up. The rate was too fast. We cant tell

whether it had some effects on the observations. The data may not be accurate. This is why it is

always advisable to carry out the experiment multiple times. This will enable you to come up

with several observations. There were some errors experienced during the experiment which

included wrong values due to the hot plate.

Measurement Errors

50ml cylinder used to measure acetone: +/-0.25

Triple beam balance +/-0.05

Hot plate

Meat data.

Ground beef Sausage Salami

Weight of fresh 7.65 7.65 6.05

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meat (thimble+

aluminum+ dish

Weight of 2.20 2.20 2.20

thimble+

aluminum dish

Weight of defatted 4.90 4.95 4.20

meat( thimble +

aluminum dish

Weight of fresh 5.35 5.35 3.85

meat

Weight of defatted 2.70 2.75 2.00

meat

Weight of 2.65 2.70 1.85

extracted fat

Percentage of Meat Sample

Ground meat Sausage Salami

% fat in meat sample 49.53 48.50 48.05

% fat free meat 50.47 51.40 51.95

sample

Extra Credit
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The following formulas were used to calculate the cost of fat free ground meat, sausage and

salami. The amount are indicated in dollars.

Salami: $ 5.99 /51.95% =$11.53

Sausage: $7.99/51.40%=$15.54

Ground beef:5.39/50.47%=$10.68

Calculations

Weight of fresh meat: (Weight of fresh meat + thimble + aluminum dish) – (Weight of thimble +

aluminum dish) (6.05g-2.20g=3.85g

Weight of defatted meat: (Weight of defatted meat + thimble + aluminum dish) – (Weight of

thimble + aluminum dish) ( 4.20g – 2.20g = 2.00g

Weight of extracted fat: (Weight of fresh meat)-(Weight of defatted meat)

(3.85g – 2.00g = 1.85 g

% fat in meat sample =weight of extracted fat/weight of fresh meat X 100

(1.85g/3.85g) X 100=48.05%

% fat-free meat sample = 100 – % fat in meat sample

(100-48.05%) 51.95%

Conclusion
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In summary, the experiment was based on extraction of fats from grounded beef, sausage

and salami. The method used here was extraction. The Wiley extractor is one of the major

apparatus used in this experiment. According to our observation, half of the meat was inhabited

with fats. This will simply means that we pay an extra amount for fats. The experiment is very

important since it can be applied in real life.

Question

This experiment is conducted in order to separate meat from fats. The fact that meat is

insoluble in acetone while fats are soluble makes the separation easier. More realistically, the

principal components of meat are fat, protein, and water. Water can dissolve in acetone to

produce a solution. Based on this information, the calculations correctly calculate what quantity,

% fat or % fat-free meat? Is the incorrectly calculated quantity over or under estimated?
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