DETERMINATION OF OPTIMUM PARTICLE SIZE FOR LOW-FAT, PRECOOKED GROUND BEEF PATTIES

Low-fat (10%) beef patties varying in particle size, C (Comitrol7® flaked), CG (mixture of flaked and ground) and G (coarse-ground) were precooked, frozen and microwave reheated for sensory, instrumental and compositional evaluations. Treatment G had higher cooking and reheating losses, higher shear values and lower final yields. Additionally, G was harder, denser, more easily fractured and less juicy than other treatments. All treatments were similar in sensory flavor attributes. C had the least cooking and reheating losses, lower shear values and higher final yields; however, it also showed surface "puffing" and an internal air pocket after microwave reheating which could be a disadvantage. Results indicated that physical shape, size or density of meat particles played a major role in textural traits. For optimum yield and textural properties, low-fat, precooked beef patties targeted for the frozen market probably should be manufactured using a Comitrol®-grinding (CG) combination.     

MODIFIED PREGELATINIZED POTATO STARCH IN LOW-FAT GROUND BEEF PATTIES

Effects of modified pregelatinized potato starch (MPPS) in 5 and 20% fat ground beef patties were evaluated. In formulas containing starch, MPPS comprised 3.0% and added water 5.0% of the raw mixture. Use of 20% rather than 5% fat in the ground beef improved sensory tenderness measured early in chewing, while lowering many Instron measurements. The 20% fat patties had more intense beef flavor. MPPS increased tenderness, but reduced juiciness and beef flavor. The addition (1% of formulation) of concentrated butter flavor to ground beef with MPPS produced beef flavor equivalent to all-beef patties. The use of MPPS increased cooking yields and moisture content following cooking and reduced fat retention of 20% patties. MPPS increased heating rate while retaining substantial moisture during cooking. Inclusion of MPPS in beef patty formulations offers improvements in tenderness and cooking yield, while reducing fat retention during cooking.     

IDENTIFICATION OF NONMEAT INGREDIENTS FOR INCREASING FAT HOLDING CAPACITY DURING HEATING OF GROUND BEEF

Eleven starch‐, fiber‐, and protein‐based ingredients were evaluated for their fat holding capacity (FHC) in ground beef during heating. A test for FHC was developed where 20 g samples of 20% fat ground beef containing a 10% (wt/wt) addition of the selected ingredient were heated using low power microwave energy until internal temperatures were ～90C. Volumes of cooked‐out water and fat were measured. FHC was determined based on the amount of fat released during cooking. High fiber ingredients retained more water and also had the highest FHC. Ground beef mixed with inner pea fiber retained the most fat, while the all‐beef controls retained the least fat. Inner pea fiber appears to be a useful ingredient in the development of food products required to retain maximum amounts of fat during heating.     

SENSORY CHARACTERISTICS OF LOW-FAT GROUND BEEF PATTIES FORMULATED WITH WAXY HULL-LESS BARLEY

Texture characteristics and acceptability of 90/10 (percentage lean/percentage fat) ground beef patties formulated with 10% hydrated, cracked waxy hull-less barley were profiled by two types of sensory panels. A panel trained in ground beef texture analysis found beef-barley patties to be more juicy and soft, and less chewy and crumbly than 90/10 and 80/20 samples. An untrained consumer panel rated the beef barley samples as acceptable in appearance, flavor, and texture as an 80/20 formulation, and more acceptable in all three attributes than 90/10 ground beef patties.     

PHYSICAL, CHEMICAL, AND SHELF-LIFE CHARACTERISTICS OF LOW-FAT GROUND BEEF PATTIES FORMULATED WITH WAXY HULL-LESS BARLEY

Ten percent hydrated, cracked waxy hull-less barley was incorporated into 90/10 (percentage lean/percentage fat) ground beef to produce a low-fat beef-barley patty which had substantially higher cook yields and water retention than either of the controls (80/20 beef, 90/10 beef). Instron texture profile analysis revealed that the beef-barley burger was less chewy, springy, cohesive, gummy, and hard than the controls. Aerobic plate counts indicated that, after six days of refrigerated storage, the beef-barley patty did not spoil any faster than the control. Thiobarbituric acid numbers (an indication of lipid oxidation) suggested that waxy barley incorporated into ground beef may have an antioxidant effect when patties are stored frozen for more than 90 days.     

COMPARATIVE STUDIES OF NONMEAT ADJUNCTS USED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF LOW-FAT BEEF BURGERS

Seventeen commercially available functional ingredients were assessed in low-fat beef burger formulations. There were differences (P<0.05) in cook yields between the different low-fat meats. The burger containing alginate/calcium lactate had the highest cook yield at 71.30% with good textural qualities, but scored low in overall flavor. Most adjuncts tested increased the WHC by comparison with the full-fat (23% fat) control, which had the lowest WHC (26.15%). Sensory analysis showed that there was a trend for higher fat beef burgers to have increased tenderness, however, no significant differences were found between the low- and full-fat controls. Beef burgers containing pectin, micro-crystalline cellulose, oat fiber and carrageenan scored high in flavor and overall quality. In contrast the burger formulated with blood protein had poor overall quality and flavor attributes. Burgers containing tapioca starch, modified food starch derived from waxy maize, and oat fiber significantly reduced Instron shear values.     

EFFECTS OF COOKING AND SUBSEQUENT REHEATING ON THE PROPERTIES OF LOW-FAT BEEF PATTIES

Low-fat (10%) beef patties manufactured with 0.5% iota carrageenan, were subjected to one-time cooking from the raw to fully cooked state or precooking and later reheating before evaluating sensory, shear force and cooking properties. The samples were reheated in a convection oven or in a simultaneous top and bottom contact grill set either at 121 or 191C. Precooking followed by reheating produced only slight changes in sensory properties (reduced tenderness, increased juiciness and increased beef flavor). Convection oven cooking improved tenderness only for one-time cooked patties. With the double contact grilling system, the 121C surface temperature enhanced tenderness (sensory and shear force) and cooking yields of precooked-reheated patties. Low-fat beef patties formulated with iota carrageenan appear capable of being subjected to a variety of cooking approaches and temperatures without major changes in cooked patty properties.     

INSTRUMENTAL MULTIPLE TEXTURE PROFILE ANALYSIS OF COOKED GROUND BEEF PATTIES AND SMOKED BEEF

An instrumental texture profile for cooked hamburger patties was obtained by repeated tests on the same samples in the wire extrusion cell of the Ottawa Texture Measuring System. The correlation between sensory and instrumental texture profile parameters was increased when two or more instrument test cycles were applied to each sample in the same test cell. Tests with smoked beef and hamburger patties showed that the change in textural characteristics with repeated cycles depended on the texture of the food.     

PATTY FORMATION METHOD, THICKNESS AND WEIGHT EFFECTS ON PROPERTIES OF COOKED LOW-FAT BEEF PATTIES

Effects of patty thickness (0.95 and 1.27 cm), weight (90 and 113 g) and type of patty fill method (traditional gravity fill = FF and twisted through holes into mold = TF) were evaluated using low-fat (10%) ground beef. An increase in patty thickness from 0.95 cm to 1.27 cm, resulted in a decreased (P<0.01) sensory firmness and peak load (Newtons) and increased (P<0.01) initial juiciness. TF fill method and 1.27 cm thick FF treatments improved tenderness and juiciness over 0.95 cm thick FF patties. This study revealed that improvements in tenderness and juiciness of low-fat beef patties can be attained through use of appropriate patty formation procedures.     

A RESEARCH NOTE CHARACTERISTICS OF EXPANDED EXTRUDATES CONTAINING NONMEAT INGREDIENTS AND LAMB, PORK, OR BEEF

This study was conducted to evaluate chemical, physical, nutritional, and sensory properties and storage stability of expanded extrudates produced from blends of nonmeat ingredients and lamb, pork or beef. Raw material blends contained 24.2% lean meat, 22% corn starch, 49.75–50.24% defatted soy flour, 0–0.62% separable meat fat, and 3.40–3.58% added water, and processed at 162C. Total fat contents of dried extrudates containing lamb, pork, and beef (their extrudates designated as L, P, and B) were 4.51, 4.29, and 3.83%, respectively. Bulk density and sensory hardness scores were greater for L, the extrudates with more fat. L and P exhibited less lipid oxidation than B. This difference was not associated with product fat content or fatty acid composition; L and P contained more fat than B and the fat in P was more polyunsaturated.     

FUNCTIONAL PROPERTIES OF SORGHUM FLOUR AS AN EXTENDER IN GROUND BEEF PATTIES 1

Patties were formulated with 20% fat ground beef and sorghum flour (SF) at 2, 4, and 6% levels (10, 20, and 30% as rehydrated 1:4 with water). Beef patties containing SF had higher pH, greater yield, less total cooking loss, less shrinkage in diameter, and less increase in thickness than those without SF. Water activity of cooked patties was not affected by addition of SF. Fat and water retentions of beef patties increased as the level of SF increased. Hunterlab a values (redness) for raw patties decreased as the level of SF increased, but a values for cooked patties were not influenced by level of SF. Shear force and compression of cooked patties decreased as the level of SF increased. Meat aroma and flavor decreased, but sorghum aroma and flavor of cooked patties increased as the level of SF increased. Tenderness of cooked patties increased as the level of SF increased, but juiciness of cooked patties was not affected.     

PHYSICAL AND SENSORY PROPERTIES OF LEAN GROUND BEEF PATTIES CONTAINING METHYLCELLULOSE AND HYDROXYPROPYLMETHYLCELLULOSE1

Broiled, lean ground beef patties containing no additives, two levels of methylcellulose (MC, 0.5 or 1.0%) and two levels of hydroxypropylmethylcellulose (HPMC, 0.5 or 1.0%) were evaluated for raw and cooked composition, cooking losses, sensory attributes and Instron compression measurements. MC or HPMC addition did not significantly affect the fat, moisture or protein content of the raw and cooked patties. Patties containing HPMC received greater tenderness, juiciness and off-flavor sensory scores when compared with patties containing MC or no additive. MC or HPMC addition increased patty gumminess sensory scores and decreased Instron compression values. Sensory cooked meat flavor decreased with gum addition.