Effect of erythorbate, storage and high-oxygen packaging on premature browning in ground beef

Premature browning (PMB) was investigated in ground beef patties with (0.04%, w/w) and without erythorbate. In Experiment 1, patties were stored at 4 °C for 48 h; at -18 °C for 21 days; or at -18 °C for 21 days, thawed at 4 °C for 24 h; and cooked. Bulk ground beef was stored at -18 °C for 24 days, thawed for 24 h at 4 °C, and patties prepared and cooked immediately. In Experiment 2, fresh patties were overwrapped with oxygen-permeable film or packaged in 80% O(2)/20% N(2) (MAP), and stored for 48 h at 4 °C, or at -18 °C for 21 days, and cooked. Total reducing activity and color (L*, a* and b* values) were measured immediately prior to cooking. Patties were cooked to internal temperatures of 60, 66, 71 and 77 °C and internal cooked color was measured. Total reducing activity was higher for the erythorbate treatment than controls for all storage conditions (P<0.05). a* Values of cooked patties were higher for erythorbate than control treatments under all storage and packaging conditions at 60 and 66 °C (P<0.05). The presence of erythorbate in ground beef patties appeared to maintain red color at cooked internal temperatures of 60 and 66 °C. Frozen bulk storage appeared to increase the susceptibility of ground beef to PMB when compared to fresh and frozen patties. Patties cooked directly from frozen state appeared less susceptible to PMB than frozen-thawed and bulk storage. Ground beef appeared predisposed to PMB when stored in high-oxygen MAP at 4 °C for 48 h.     

Beef longissimus lumborum, biceps femoris, and deep pectoralis Warner-Bratzler shear force is affected differently by endpoint temperature, cooking method, and USDA quality grade

Effects of endpoint temperature, cooking method, and quality grade on Warner-Bratzler shear force (WBSF) of beef longissimus lumborum (LL), biceps femoris (BF), and deep pectoralis (DP) muscles were evaluated. Eighteen of all three subprimals were selected from USDA Select and 18 from USDA Choice (Certified Angus Beef) carcasses for the respective muscles. Muscles were vacuum packaged and held at 1 °C for 14 days, frozen (-29 °C), sawed into 2.54-cm thick steaks, vacuum packaged, and stored frozen until cooking. Thawed steaks were cooked by either a Magikitch'n(?) electric belt-grill (BG) at 93 °C, or a water-bath at 93 °C, to one of nine endpoint temperatures: 40, 45, 50, 55, 60, 65, 70, 75, or 80 °C. Belt-grill cooking was much faster and resulted in distinctly less cooking loss than water-bath cooking. Water-bath cooking resulted in higher (P<0.0001) Instron(?) WBSF (31.92 N) than BG (28.25 N) for LL. The combination of Select quality grade and higher endpoint temperatures resulted in higher (P<0.05) WBSF for LL. Two distinct phases of tenderization/toughening occurred for BF. Between 40 and 60 °C, WBSF decreased from 43.95 to 38.16 N (P<0.01), whereas between 60 and 70 °C, WBSF increased from 38.16 N to 44.44 N (P<0.05). Water-bath cooling resulted in higher (P=0.0001) DP WBSF (71.12 N) than BG (59.25 N). The DP had a distinct (P<0.0001) decline in WBSF between 45 and 65 °C, irrespective of the cooking method, followed by an increase between 65 and 80 °C (P<0.01).     

Chitosan inhibits premature browning in ground beef

Our objective was to evaluate the effect of chitosan on premature browning in refrigerated ground beef patties stored in different packaging systems. Ground beef patties (15% fat) with chitosan (1% w/w) or without chitosan (control) were individually packaged either in vacuum (VP), aerobic packaging (AP), carbon monoxide modified atmosphere packaging (LO-OX; 0.4% CO+19.6% CO(2)+80% N(2)), or high-oxygen modified atmosphere packaging (HI-OX; 80% O(2)+20% CO(2)), and stored for 0, 1, or 3 days at 1°C. At the conclusion of storage, raw surface redness was evaluated, patties were cooked to internal end-point temperatures of either 66°C or 71°C, and internal cooked color was measured. The incorporation of chitosan increased (P<0.05) the interior redness of patties stored in AP, VP, and LO-OX, but not in HI-OX. The results of the present study suggest that the incorporation of 1% chitosan minimizes premature browning in ground beef patties stored under AP, VP, and LO-OX.     

Effect of enrobing and antioxidants on quality characteristics of precooked pork patties under chilled and frozen storage conditions

Enrobed or coated pork patties containing a (50:50) mixture of butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) and butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) at a level of 100 ppm in the batter mix and meat emulsion were cooked and stored chilled (4±1?°C) and frozen (-18±1?°C) for evaluation of quality. Test samples were compared to control patties (neither enrobed nor antioxidant treated). After 35 days of refrigerated storage no significant difference (P>0.05) was found in pH, 2-thiobarbituric acid (TBA) and Warner-Bratzler shear force (WBSF) values between uncoated and treated samples. Similarly, enrobed patties showed no significant (P<0.05) decrease in TBA values compared to control patties, but had lower relative moisture loss at the 45th day of frozen storage. However, control patties had significantly (P<0.05) higher overall shear values than coated patties under the same storage conditions. Coated samples had higher microbial loads but below the acceptable limit. Total plate counts (TPC) in enrobed and control patties were around 3.48 and 3.05 log(10) cfu/g, respectively, whereas in frozen stored samples these numbers were 2.77 and 2.69 log(10) cfu/g at the end of storage. Sensory scores viz appearance and color, flavor, juiciness, texture, and overall acceptability were higher in treated samples than controls during the entire storage period.     

Inhibition of Lipid Oxidation and Rancidity in Precooked Pork Patties by Radical‐Scavenging Licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra) Extract

This study investigated the efficacy of licorice extract (LE) to curtail lipid oxidation and protect sensory attributes of ground pork during refrigerated and frozen storage. Pork patties (20% fat) were formulated with 0%, 0.02%, 0.05%, and 0.1% (meat basis) LE or rosemary extract (RE) as comparison or 0.01% (fat basis) BHA with 0 or 1.5% NaCl. Raw and precooked (75 °C) patties were packaged in polyvinylchloride overwrapped trays and stored at 2 °C up to 7 and 14 d, respectively, or at –20 °C up to 6 mo. Lipid oxidation (thiobarbituric acid‐reactive substances [TBARS]) and sensory attributes of stored patty samples were evaluated, radical scavenging activity of the LE was measured, and the active phenolic compounds were identified. Cooking yield (<85%) was similar among antioxidant treatments, and lipid oxidation was minimal in refrigerated or frozen raw samples. However, TBARS values in refrigerated precooked control patties (0.22 mg/kg) rose to 9.3 to 9.4 mg/kg after 14 d, compared to 3.4 to 4.4 and 4.4 to 6.9 mg/kg in patties treated with 0.1% LE and RE, respectively. In frozen precooked samples, TBARS (0.22 mg/kg) increased to 1.3 mg/kg (P < 0.05) in control patties after 6 mo and had no significant change in patties treated with 0.1% LE or 0.01% butylated hydroxyanisol. Sensory panel evaluation confirmed strong inhibition of rancidity production by LE, corroborating its remarkable antiradical activity due to the presence of multiple phenolics. The results indicate that licorice has great potential as a natural antioxidative additive to extend the shelf‐life of precooked pork.     

Effect of erythorbic acid on cooked color in ground beef

Consumers often use the color of cooked ground beef as an indicator of doneness. For safety reasons, it is recommended that the center of ground beef products be heated to 71°C. In some instances beef may appear done before reaching 71°C, a condition termed premature browning (PMB). Ground beef (15% fat), with added erythorbic acid (ERY) at 0.04 and 0.06% was formed into patties, wrapped in oxygen permeable film, and stored in the dark at 4°C. Patties were stored for either 10 h or 58 h and then cooked to internal end point temperatures of 60, 66, 71 or 77°C. Internal cooked color L(?), a(?) and b(?) values were measured. For beef patties stored 10 h, there was no effect of ERY on internal cooked color. After 58 h storage, ground beef with 0.04 and 0.06% ERY had higher a(?) values than controls at 60°C (P<0.05). Beef with 0.04% ERY cooked to an internal temperature of 66°C had higher a(?) values than 0.06% ERY and controls (P<0.05). There was no effect of ERY on color of beef patties cooked to 71 or 77°C. The presence of 0.04% ERY in ground beef patties stored 58 h appeared to maintain red color at internal temperatures of 60 and 66°C.     

Flavor and Oxidative Stability of Ground Beef Patties as Affected by Source and Storage

Chuck muscles and fat from silage plus grain- and forage-fed steers were stored 7 days at 4°C before patty manufacture or processed into patties and stored at 4°C or ?32°C. The thiobarbituric acid values were constant from 0 to 4 days for frozen patties but decreased (P<0.05) for refrigerated patties. Evaluated by an 11-member trained sensory panel, frozen patties had lower (P<0.05) rancid flavor intensity than refrigerated patties; rancid flavor increased from 0 to 2 or 4 days storage in refrigerated patties. Frozen patties from silage plus grain-fed steers had higher (P<0.05) beefy flavor intensity scores than those from forage beef. However, diet source had no effect (P>0.05) on refrigerated patties.     

Effect of marination and microwave heating on the quality of Semimembranosus and Semitendinosus muscles from Friesian mature cows

Semimembranosus (SM) and Semitendinosus (ST) muscles from 8 mature cows were used to evaluate the effect of marination, power of microwave heating, and internal temperature of cooking on the quality of calibrated beef roasts. Four treatments, using combinations of power (182W and 654W) and temperature (60 and 80°C) were applied to marinated (10% added brine: salt, sodium lactate, lactose, and ascorbate) and control roasts from SM (15×5×3cm) and ST (10×4×3cm) muscles in a 2×2×2 factorial arrangement. Microwave cooking was heterogeneous resulting in a gradient of temperatures within the roasts. Either high or low microwave power were appropriate for cooking ST roasts, but SM roasts cooked at 654W showed higher cooking losses, and lighter and less red cooked color than 182W. Cooking to 80°C increased cooking and color losses in both muscles and decreased tenderness of SM roasts compared with 60°C. Marination can be used successfully to enhance beef tenderness of ST and SM muscles cooked in microwave.     

Packaging-specific influence of chitosan on color stability and lipid oxidation in refrigerated ground beef

We examined the influence of chitosan on lipid oxidation and color stability of ground beef stored in different modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) systems. Ground beef patties with chitosan (1%) or without chitosan (control) were packaged either in high-oxygen MAP (HIOX; 80% O₂ + 20% CO₂), carbon monoxide MAP (CO; 0.4% CO + 19.6% CO₂ + 80% N₂), vacuum (VP), or aerobic packaging (PVC) and stored at 1 °C. Chitosan increased (P < 0.05) redness of patties stored in PVC and CO, whereas it had no effect (P > 0.05) in HIOX. Chitosan patties demonstrated lower (P < 0.05) lipid oxidation than controls in all packaging. Control patties in PVC and HIOX exhibited greater (P < 0.05) lipid oxidation than those in VP and CO, whereas chitosan patties in different packaging systems were not different (P > 0.05) from each other. Our findings suggested that antioxidant effects of chitosan on ground beef are packaging-specific.     

Effects of succinate on ground beef color and premature browning

The objective of this experiment was to determine the effects of succinate on raw and cooked ground beef color. Chubs (n=10) were divided in half and assigned to either succinate (final w/w concentration of 2.5%) or distilled water. Patties (n=14 per chub half) were assigned to initial day 0 color and each of 6 treatment combinations, created by crossing 3 packaging types (vacuum, high-oxygen/80% O(2), and PVC) with 2 storage times (days 1 and 3). After storage, patties were cooked to either 66 °C or 71 °C. Succinate increased (P<0.05) ground beef pH and metmyoglobin reducing activity but had no effect (P>0.05) on raw a* and chroma values. Moreover, succinate decreased (P<0.05) raw L* values, lipid oxidation, and premature browning for patties packaged in PVC and high-oxygen. Succinate may increase cooked patty redness via its influence on meat pH.     

Effects of pyruvate on lipid oxidation and ground beef color

Our overall objective was to better understand the effects of added pyruvate on enhanced beef color stability. The 2 possible mechanisms assessed were the role of pyruvate in lipid oxidation and direct interaction between pyruvate and beef myoglobin. Microsomes were incubated with pyruvate at pH 5.6, 25 °C, and lipid oxidation was measured hourly for 3 h. Bovine oxymyoglobin at pH 5.6 was incubated with pyruvate and used to quantify both redox stability (metmyoglobin formation) and pyruvate-myoglobin adduction using mass spectrometry analysis. Surface color and lipid oxidation were measured on ground beef patties stored for 6 d in polyvinyl chloride over-wrap (PVC) or high oxygen. Addition of pyruvate to microsomes decreased lipid oxidation compared with controls (P < 0.05). Conversely, no effect on myoglobin was observed (no changes in redox stability and no peaks corresponding to pyruvate were observed; P > 0.05). However, pyruvate increased color stability and decreased lipid oxidation of ground beef patties packaged in PVC and high oxygen. Pyruvate decreased nitric oxide metmyoglobin-reducing capacity and oxygen consumption of patties compared with controls (P < 0.05). This research suggests that pyruvate may improve beef color stability primarily through its antioxidant effect on lipids. Practical Application: Discoloration of meat often results in significant revenue loss. This study suggests that pyruvate can improve the color stability of patties packaged in high oxygen and PVC primarily through its antioxidant effect on lipids.     

Effect of muscle source on premature browning in ground beef

Premature browning (PMB) describes cooked beef that may appear done before reaching 71 °C. Ground beef from paired Longissimus lumborum (LL) and Psoas major (PM) muscles was formed into patties. Patties were cooked immediately, and after 48 and 96 h storage at 4 °C. Total reducing activity (TRA) and external color were measured immediately prior to cooking. Patties were cooked to internal end point temperatures of 60, 66, 71 or 77 °C and internal cooked color (L(*), a(*) and b(*) values) was measured. Raw PM patties had greater L(*) values and lesser a(*) values than those from LL (P<0.05). For LL and PM, raw a(*) and b(*) values decreased with storage from 0 h to 96 h (P<0.05). At 0 and 48 h storage, cooked patties prepared from PM had greater a(*) values than those prepared from LL at all internal endpoint temperatures (P<0.05). Internal cooked a(*) values of patties from PM decreased with storage of raw patties, whereas it was stable for LL patties (P<0.05).     

Thermal transition of collagen in ovine connective tissues

The thermal transition temperature (T(m)) of collagen in a range of muscle and non-muscle connective tissues from lambs, hoggets and mature sheep was measured by differential scanning calorimetry. The muscles selected were: semimembranosus (SM), semitendinosus (ST), biceps femoris (BF), Longissimus dorsi (LD) and psoas major (PM). Although the T(m) of intramuscular SM collagen from an aged ewe underwent no significant change with time post mortem, that of a 5-months-old lamb had dropped by 0·9°C after 2 days at 19°C. The epimysium of each muscle exhibited a higher T(m) than the corresponding intramuscular connective tissue. The LD and BF tendons each had a lower T(m) than corresponding intramuscular connective tissue but this was not true for the PM. Furthermore, the PM tendon generated an isometric tension more than five times that of the LD, BF or psoas minor tendons. This indicates that the PM tendon is richer in heatstable crosslinks than any of the other tendons investigated. In all tissues, except the liver capsule, there was an increase in T(m) with animal age. However, the rate of change T(m) varied from one tissue to another. For example, the SM intramuscular collagen matured at an earlier age than that of other muscles, the PM being slowest to mature. In keeping with the changes in T(m) values, the Warner-Bratzler peak force of ST muscles increased markedly in older sheep, but there was no significant difference in peak force of SM muscles between lambs, hoggets and mature sheep.     

Frozen storage stability of antioxidant-treated raw restructured beef steaks made from mature cows

Previous research has shown that beef quality decreased with the age of cattle. In this study, beef trimmings from nine mature cows (n = 9), equally representing three animal age groups (2–4, 6–8, and 10–12 yr), were restructured into steaks formulated with propyl gallate, alone or in combination with a beefy flavoring agent, to enhance palatability and stability during 6 months of frozen storage at −29 °C. Lipid oxidation, rancidity, and loss of beefy flavor in restructured steaks during extended storage were reduced by propyl gallate. The beefy flavoring agent inclusion masked mature, forage-fed beef off-flavors, intensified beefy flavor, and improved steak tenderness, juiciness and cooking yield. Thus, the combination of propyl gallate and beefy flavoring offers an effective means to enhance the palatability and storage stability of restructured beef prepared from mature cows.     

Frozen storage stability of vacuum-packaged precooked restructured steaks manufactured from mature cow beef

Beef trimmings from nine cows, equally representing three animal age groups (2-4, 6-8, and 10-12 year), were restructured into steaks formulated with propyl gallate, alone or in combination with a beefy flavoring agent, to enhance palatability and storage stability. Steaks were fully cooked prior to being stored under vacuum for 6 months at −29 °C. Animal age did not affect steak quality and lipid stability, whereas sensory palatability scores and reheating yield decreased significantly beyond 3 months. Propyl gallate did not impart any additional protection against lipid oxidation beyond that provided by vacuum packaging. On the other hand, inclusion of beefy flavoring agent masked all mature, forage-fed beef off-flavors, intensified beefy flavor and improved steak tenderness, juiciness and reheating yield. The incorporation of a beefy flavoring agent was shown to be an effective means to enhance the palatability of vacuum packaged precooked steaks manufactured from mature cows.     

Quality characteristics of pork patties irradiated and stored in different packaging and storage conditions

Patties were made from pork loin, individually vacuum- or aerobic-packaged and stored either at 4 or -40°C. Refrigerated patties were irradiated at 0, 1.5, 3.0 or 4.5 kGy absorbed dose, and frozen ones were irradiated at 0, 2.5, 5.0, or 7.5 kGy. Samples were analyzed for lipid oxidation, volatile production and odor characteristics. Refrigerated samples were analyzed at 0, 1 and 2 weeks, and frozen ones after 0, 1.5 and 3 months of storage. With vacuum packaging, the lipid oxidation (TBARS) of both refrigerated and frozen patties was not influenced by irradiation and storage time except for the patties irradiated and refrigerated at 7.5 kGy. With refrigerated storage, panelists could detect irradiation odor at day 0, but not after 1 week at 4°C. With frozen storage, however, irradiation odor was detected even after 3 months of storage. With aerobic packaging, the TBARS of refrigerated pork patties increased with storage time. The TBARS of pork patties increased as irradiation dose increased at day 0, but the effect disappeared after 1 week at 4°C. Nonirradiated patties were preferred to the irradiated ones at day 0 because of the significant irradiation odor in the irradiated ones, but the off-odor disappeared after 1 week at 4°C. With frozen storage, patties irradiated at 7.5 kGy had higher TBARS than those irradiated at lower doses. Nonirradiated patties had higher preference scores than the irradiated ones for 1.5 months in frozen storage. Sulfur-containing compounds were responsible for most of the irradiation off-odor, but these volatilized quickly during storage under aerobic conditions. Overall, vacuum packaging was better than aerobic packaging for irradiation and subsequent storage of meat because it minimized oxidative changes in patties and produced minimal amounts of volatile compounds that might be responsible for irradiation off-odor during storage.     

Comparison of antioxidant effects of milk mineral, butylated hydroxytoluene and sodium tripolyphosphate in raw and cooked ground pork

The antioxidant effects of 0.5-2.0% milk mineral (MM) was tested in raw and cooked ground pork stored at 2?°C or -20?°C, compared to butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) and sodium tripolyphosphate (STP). TBA numbers were low and not different between raw meat treatments. TBA numbers were lower (P<0.01) for cooked treatments with MM or STP compared to controls or treatments with BHT. Experiments were also done to determine acceptability of pork samples with various TBA values, and to determine effect of holding time before serving on TBA values. Cooked pork patties held at 71?°C for 90 or 120 min had higher (P<0.05) TBA values than patties held for 0-60 min. Thus patties could be warmed for 60 min after cooking without significantly increasing TBA number. For paired-preference sensory testing, patties were cooked and stored at 2?°C for 0, 1, 2 and 3 days to obtain TBA numbers of 0.4, 1.5, 3.4 and 3.9 respectively. Panelists preferred (P<0.001) patties with TBA number <0.5, compared to patties with TBA numbers >1.4.     

Improvement of Pigment and Lipid Stability in Holstein Steer Beef by Dietary Supplementation with Vitamin E

Pigment and lipid oxidation was investigated in fresh ground sirloin from control and vitamin E-supplemented (370 I.U./head/day) Holstein steers. Alpha-tocopherol levels were higher (P<0.05) in muscle from supplemented animals than from controls. During 6 days storage at 4°C, metmyoglobin accumulation and lipid oxidation (TBA) were greater (P<0.05) in beef from control versus supplemented animals. TBA value and % metmyoglobin were highly correlated in the control (r = 0.91) and supplemented (r = 0.72) groups. TBA values of cooked sirloin slices subsequently stored for 2 days at 4°C, and for frozen ground sirloin patties stored at -18°C for 1.5 and 3 months, were lower (P<0.05) in beef from supplemented animals than from controls. Meat which contained in excess of ca. 0.3 mg α-tocopherol/100 g tissue displayed the least oxidation of both pigments and lipids.     

The triacylglycerol preparation of conjugated linoleic acid reduces lipid oxidation in irradiated, cooked ground beef patties

It is proposed that conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) would depress the lipid oxidation caused by irradiation of cooked, aerobically stored ground beef patties. The free fatty acid (FFA–CLA) and triacylglycerol (TAG–CLA) preparations of CLA were added at 0%, 1%, 2%, or 4% during the grinding process. Patties were irradiated at 1.5–2.0 kGy and frozen at −20 °C. Subsequently, the patties were tempered to 4 °C, cooked to 70 °C and held at 4 °C for 7 d. Enrichment of ground beef with CLA increased the cis-9,trans-11 and CLA trans-10,cis-12 CLA isomers in ground beef patties, even after cooking. Weight loss (P = 0.03) and percentage fat (P = 0.05) were higher in irradiated beef patties than in control patties. Irradiation decreased the concentration of α-linolenic acid (18:3n − 3) in the ground beef by over 60% (P = 0.07), whereas thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) values were higher (P = 0.004) in irradiated beef patties than in control patties. The 1% concentration of added TAG–CLA reduced TBARS in irradiated ground beef patties, whereas 2% and 4% FFA–CLA depressed TBARS (CLA type × percentage interaction P = 0.04). Irradiation increased the cardboard and painty aromatic attributes (P  0.05), and FFA–CLA preparation increased the painty aromatic attribute and afterburn aftertaste, but these effects were not observed with the TAG–CLA preparation (CLA type × treatment interaction P < 0.04). Adding 1% TAG–CLA to ground beef during grinding can reduce lipid oxidation in irradiated, cooked ground beef patties without the negative aftertastes associated with the FFA–CLA preparation.     

Effect of antioxidants on stabilization of meat products fortified with n-3 fatty acids

The effects of an n-3 oil emulsion, with and without added antioxidants, on lipid oxidation in n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA)-fortified meat products were studied. An emulsion of n-3 PUFAs was prepared (25% algal oil, 2.5% whey protein isolates, 10mM sodium citrate, 0.2% potassium sorbate, 500ppm of 70% mixed tocopherols, 100μM EDTA, pH 3, pasteurized at 75°C for 30min) and incorporated into fresh ground turkey, and fresh pork sausage (20% fat) to achieve a concentration of 500mg n-3 PUFA/110g meat. An antioxidant combination containing rosemary (0.2% w/w; radical quencher), citrate (0.5% w/w; sequestrant) and erythorbate (1g/kg product; reductant) was prepared and incorporated into ground turkey patties (5cm dia, 1.5cm thick) or fresh pork sausages (5cm dia, 1.5cm thick). Meat products were stored at 4°C or -18°C and analyzed for color (L*, a*, b* values), lipid oxidation (TBARS and lipid hydroperoxides) and n-3 PUFA profile. a* Values of refrigerated ground turkey patties decreased with storage, and an antioxidant combination effect was observed after 4 days (P<0.05). For fresh pork sausages at 4°C, control+antioxidant (CON+ANTI), and n-3+antioxidant (n-3+ANTI) groups showed greater a* values than controls (CON) indicating that the antioxidant combination stabilized meat color. TBARS and lipid hydroperoxides of both n-3 PUFA-enhanced meat products increased with storage (P<0.05); there were no significant changes in TBARS or lipid hydroperoxides for treatments containing the antioxidant combination (P<0.05). The actual level of n-3 PUFA incorporation in both meat products was greater than 87%; n-3 PUFA concentrations did not change within any treatment during storage (P>0.05). These results provide support for including antioxidant protection in n-3 PUFA fortified meat products.