EFFECT OF INDIVIDUAL MUSCLES AND CONNECTIVE TISSUE LEVELS ON THE SENSORY AND SHEAR PROPERTIES OF RESTRUCTURED BEEF STEAKS

Restructured steaks were made from slices of forequarter muscles known to be different in tenderness. Additional steaks were made from pieces that were sorted to contain either epimysium, intramuscular connective tissue sheets or no visible connective tissue. Texture panels and shear force values could discriminate between steaks from some of the different muscles. High correlations ( P < 0.05) existed between connective tissue amounts and the sensory evaluations of residual connective tissue toughness and instrumental shear force values.     

EFFECT OF PROTEIN EXTENDERS ON FATTY ACIDS,CHOLESTEROL, SENSORY QUALITY AND COOKING LOSS OF BEEF PATTIES1

Ten different formulations of beef patties were processed to contain 20–50% fat from lean beef containing not more than 7% fat and beef fat consisting of not less than 90% fat and were extended with different levels of textured soy protein (TSP) at 5, 10 and 20% and single cell protein (SCP) at 2.5, 5 and 7.5%. The patties were stored at ?18°C for 6 months. Sensory quality evaluation showed that patties with 80% lean and 20% fat and patties with 40% lean, 40% fat and 20% TSP were the least acceptable, but lower levels of TSP and SCP addition were found to improve panel rating. A 17% increase in protein content and a reduction of about 13.5% in fat content was observed due to TSP and SCP incorporation. An average cooking loss in the different formulations was 33%, addition of protein extenders was found to reduce cooking loss by about 22% while fat loss averages 30.2%. A reduction of 21.1% of 18:1 and a reduction of approximately 18.7% of total FAME and 32% cholesterol were observed due to the addition of TSP and SCP.     

EFFECTS OF SOY PARTICLE SIZE AND COLOR ON THE SENSORY PROPERTIES OF GROUND BEEF PATTIES

A study was conducted to assess the effect of both size and color of textured soy protein particles on the visual and textural properties of extended (20% replacement) ground beef patties. A trained texture profile panel judged the hardness, cohesiveness, chewiness, moistness, and oiliness of nine different samples. In addition, judgments of the visual attributes of darkness, size of particles, and density of particles were made. Significant effects of soy ingredient were found for all judged attributes. It was concluded that soy ingredients having particle sizes smaller than the diameter of the openings of the grind plate used to process the meat/soy mixture produced the greatest change in the texture of the ground beef patties, because these particles passed through the grind plate unscathed, producing an easily discernable matrix of large meat particles and small soy particles. It was also concluded that carmel-colored soy ingredients produced less lightening of the cooked samples than uncolored soy ingredients.     

RELATIONSHIPS OF INSTRUMENTAL TEXTURAL PROPERTIES AND MUSCLE FIBER TYPES TO THE SENSORY PROPERTIES OF BEEF

Longissimus muscle steaks from 94 cattle were used to determine the relationship between sensory tenderness ratings and instrumental textural properties of beef and to determine the role of muscle fiber type characteristics to sensory and instrumental textural properties. It was determined that ease of fragmentation, amount of detectable connective tissue, and tenderness ratings were all measurements of the same attribute. Peak load was found to be the best predicator of tenderness and the use of additional instrumental textural properties in regression equations did not substantially improve predictability. White muscle fiber characteristics were found to be positively correlated to sensory tenderness ratings.     

EFFECT OF HYDROCOLLOIDS ON APPARENT VISCOSITY AND SENSORY PROPERTIES OF SELECTED BEVERAGES1

The effects were studied of low concentrations of 5 selected hydrocolloids (xanthan, hydroxypropylcellulose, sodium alginate, and carboxymethylcellulose of low and medium viscosity types) on viscosity and sensory properties of 3 commercial beverages: tomato juice, orange drink and soluble coffee. Tomato juice and orange drink were tested at 0° and 22°C, while coffee was tested at 22° and 60°C by 11-14 highly trained judges. Apparent physical viscosity was determined with a Brookfield uiscometer. Due to precipitate formation, it was not possible to test sodium alginate in orange drink nor hydroxypropylcellulose in coffee at 60°C. Without exception, increasing the hydrocolloid concentration significantly depressed (P < 0.001) the flavor and aroma intensities of all beverages a t both test temperatures. Taste effects were specific for the gumlbeverage combinations. In general, gums depressed the sourness and saltiness of tomato juice, the sourness of orange drink and the bitterness of coffee. Both physical and oral viscosities increased with gum concentration and decreased with temperature. Positive synergism was displayed by gums in tomato juice and orange drink. Excellent correlations (r > 0.9) were obtained between sensory and physical viscosities.     

PARTIAL REPLACEMENT OF MEAT BY PEA FIBER AND WHEAT FIBER: EFFECT ON THE CHEMICAL COMPOSITION, COOKING CHARACTERISTICS AND SENSORY PROPERTIES OF BEEF BURGERS

Pea fiber concentrate (PFC) and wheat fiber concentrate (WFC) were used as dietary fibers in beef burger formulation. These fibers were characterized in terms of chemical composition and techno-functional properties. WFC and PFC presented similar water-binding capacity (3.12 g/g and 3.07 g/g, respectively), whereas a higher oil-binding capacity was observed for WFC (2.89 g/g versus 1.74 g/g). In this study, the level of PFC was fixed at 0.5%, whereas different levels of WFC (0.5%, 1% and 1.5%) were tested. The water-holding capacity of raw beef burger was significantly higher with the addition of fibers. The use of these dietary fibers in beef burger formulation improves their cooking properties, i.e., increases the cooking yield and decreases the shrinkage, and minimizes production cost without degradation of sensory properties.

PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS

The use of dietary fiber and water for meat replacement in beef burger formulation was investigated in order to reduce production costs and to improve nutritional characteristics and cooking properties of beef burgers without affecting sensory properties.     

EFFECT OF BLENDING ON SENSORY ODOR PROFILE AND PHYSICO-CHEMICAL PROPERTIES OF SELECT VEGETABLE OILS

Edible oils of common use in households are mainly of vegetable origin. The present trend of globalization and emphasis on nutritional enrichment has led to the exploration of usage of blended oils. Binary blends studied in this work consisted of 80% base oil (mustard, groundnut and sunflower oil) and 20% blending oil (sesame, refined palm and rice bran oil). The sensory odor profiling of base oils, namely sesame blending oils and their blends was monitored by Sniff test method. The characteristic notes of mustard oil were more of sulfury, pungent and sour while that of palm oil was more husk-like; sesame oil, seedy and earthy notes; rice bran oil was branny, earthy and groundnut oil more nutty, and had a fresh oil-like note on the profilogram. Profilogram of blends showed a decrease in the intensities of dominating notes of the base oils. The color measurement of blended oils showed variation in L*, a*and b*values with a⁺(redness) for refined palm oil blends, b⁺(yellowness) for sesame and mustard oil blends and a^-(greenness) for rice bran oil blends. The sensory color perception values and CIE color values for L*, a*and b*were negatively correlated for lightness (L*) and sensory redness color values (r=-0.67; p<0.05), while a positive correlation existed between a*and sensory redness values (r=0.72; p<0.05). The apparent viscosity of the oil blends indicated a pseudoplastic shear thinning behavior. The apparent viscosity of the base oils increased when blended with sesame or rice bran oil, while it decreased upon blending with refined palm oil.