ACCELERATED RESTRUCTURING OF BEEF

Restructured steaks manufactured by two comminution methods from prerigor electrically stimulated (PES) beef, nonstimulated counterparts (NES) and postrigor non-electrically stimulated (C) samples were compared. After frozen storage for 0,14, and 42 days, samples were subjectively evaluated for appearance and palatability traits. Objective measurements included Hunter Color, TBA, Kramer, and Instron values. Electrical stimulation reduced peak force but did not consistently improve sensory panel scores. Comminution method did not consistently affect any traits. Results suggested that subjective appearance was affected more by storage time than other treatments and that prerigor beef may be effectively utilized in restructured beef without affecting palatability traits.     

MIXTURES OF BEEF TRIPE, BEEF LIVER AND SOYBEANS APPLIED TO FOOD DEVELOPMENT

A nutritive sausage‐type product was developed with beef tripe, beef liver and soybeans as ingredients. A three‐component mixture design was used to obtain seven different formulations (minimum of each main ingredient: 16.5%, maximum: 67.0%). Ingredients were ground, mixed and packed tightly with a polypropylene film to obtain a roll. Pieces were cooked in boiling water for 90 min. The composition of the obtained products varied within the following ranges: proteins 17.32–25.56 g/100 g, lipids 3.22–3.87 g/100 g, crude fiber 1.50–4.50 g/100 g, minerals 1.44–2.72 g/100 g. Total iron levels varied between 1.39 and 2.98 mg/100 g and calcium levels between 15.07 and 34.01 mg/100 g. Surface response analysis was applied to parameters obtained from texture profile analysis (hardness, adhesiveness, cohesiveness and elasticity). Products hardness increased when the soy content increased; on the contrary, formulations enriched in beef tripe were those of higher elasticity and cohesiveness. Color was mainly determined by the incorporation of liver. A nontrained panel was used to evaluate the acceptance of the different formulations. The most accepted one was that with equal proportions of the three main ingredients. Microbiological challenge testing showed that the thermal treatment was enough for assuring the product safeness even in samples with high initial microbial charge.     

ACCEPTABILITY OF VARIOUS GROUND BEEF AND PORK PRODUCTS EXTENDED WITH MECHANICALLY SEPARATED BEEF

Six blends of ground beef and six blends of ground pork containing 0, 15, 30, 45, 60 or 75% mechanically separated beef (MSB) were prepared. Also five batches of fermented sausage and spiced luncheon loaf containing 0, 5, 10, 15 and 20% MSB were formulated. Level of MSB was not related to juiciness rating or mealiness scores of cooked beef/MSB or pork/MSB patties. The level of MSB significantly affected overall eating satisfaction ratings for each blend of MSB patties. MSB at levels of 15% or more had a negative effect on flavor acceptability of cooked ground beef or pork. Fermented sausage products could be extended with only 5% MSB without creating defects in visual appearance or sensory properties. However, the inclusion of 20% MSB yielded a spiced luncheon loaf which was higher in eating quality than an all-beef control. The beef/MSB patties, fermented sausage, and spiced luncheon loaves containing 15% MSB were acceptable for visual appearance. Based on this study, MSB produced from a press type machine, can be blended up to 15% with ground beef, ground pork and sausage products without significantly decreasing raw appearance, sensory properties or storage life. Since MSB is a red meat product available at a similar low cost as textured vegetable protein, the red meat industry would benefit from expanded use of this high protein extender.     

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.     

RESTRUCTURED BEEF WITH FAT VARIATIONS

Prerigor beef samples from U.S. Choice Yield Grade 3 beef forequarters were excised within 1 h postmortem and converted to restructured beef steaks containing 10, 15 or 20% fat. The blended samples, regardless of fat level, were formulated with 1.0% NaCl and 0.25% sodium tripolyphosphate (STP) and stored at -20°C until evaluation at 0 and 56 days. Appearance and taste attributes were measured objectively and subjectively. Results suggested that fat content variation of restructured beef steaks with 20% fat or less had a minimal effect on color degradation and other appearance traits. These attributes were affected more by storage time than fat level. Fat content had no significant effect (P > 0.05) on the objective and subjective measurements for palatability. These data suggest that low-fat steaks can be produced without anticipation of reduced palatability as fat content decreases below 20%.     

ACCELERATED PROCESSED RESTRUCTURED BEEF STEAKS

Muscles from ungraded (no roll) beef arm chucks of A maturity steer carcasses were removed at 1 and 24 h postmortem. High connective tissue and fatty portions were reduced to 3.0 mm particle size and other muscles were comminuted to 9.9 mm. These materials were formulated with 1.0% NaCl and 0.25% sodium tripolyphosphate, converted into 25 mm thick restructured steaks and packaged. Subjective evaluations were conducted after 3 and 7 days of storage for appearance and taste attributes by seven trained panelists. Objective measurements were taken for color and tenderness traits, collagen solubility and oxidative rancidity. Postrigor steaks experienced less (P < 0.05) oxidative rancidity development with superior tenderness ratings after 7 days of storage. Rigor state of raw materials had no effect (P > 0.05) on microbial growth, peak break force, color, overall appearance, flavor, and collagen solubility of samples with the same storage periods. Oxidative rancidity of prerigor samples increased (P < 0.05) with additional storage time.     

TEXTURAL CHARACTERISTICS OF BEEF MUSCLES

Uniaxial compression tests were performed on raw and cooked meat samples prepared from five muscles excised from a single beef hindquarter. The greatest variation of mechanical properties was across the muscle (lateral to medial) rather than along the muscle (origin to insertion). Active muscles showed greater variation and were generally tougher than inactive muscles. By carefully following regions of similar characteristics from raw to cooked slices, linear regression curves for raw vs cooked beef were obtained having correlation coefficients averaging 0.87.     

RESTRUCTURED BEEF AND TURKEY STEAKS

Raw Materials from U.S. Choice beef chucks boned 24 h postmortem and frozen boneless turkey thighs stored approximately 120 h were flaked and incorporated in four restructured formulations with each containing 1.0% NaCl and 0.25% sodium tripolyphosphate (STP). Formulations included beef (B), beef plus 0.5% sugar (BS), 50% turkey (BT) and 50% beef and 50% turkey plus 0.5% sugar (BTS). At 0, 21 and 84 day, subjective evaluations were conducted for discoloration, cohesiveness, muscle cut resemblance and overall appearance. Objective measurements included Hunter Color and TBA values. Overall appearance and discoloration (measured visually and objectively) were affected more by storage time than by raw materials and flavor adjuncts. The effect of raw materials and sugar on the sensory attributes was minimal except that the formulations containing turkey had higher TBA values.     

POST-SLAUGHTER pH VARIATION IN BEEF

Tests on over 1200 comparable carcasses in two major packing plants showed that a large variation occurred in the muscle pH values recorded 1 hr post slaughter. The percentage of carcasses having I-hr post-slaughter pH values of 6.2 or lower, between 6.3 and 6.6, and 6.7 or higher varied by 2–23%, 38–63% and 15–62%, respectively, between plants and time of measurement. Variation between muscles from a single animal was 0.4 units or less.     

HIGH-TEMPERATURE CONDITIONING OF HOT-BONED BEEF SUBPRIMALS

The right sides of 18 carcasses were randomly assigned to one of two treatments: (1) hot-boned at 2 h postmortem, vacuum packaged and high temperature conditioned at 37 C for 3 h (HTC) or (2) electrically stimulated, hot-boned 2 h postmortem, vacuum packaged and high temperature conditioned at 37 C for 3 h (ES + HTC). The left sides served as controls being boned 48 h postmortem. The longissimus (LD), semitendinosus (ST) and semimembranosus (SM) muscles were examined for percentage thaw loss, cook loss, total weight loss and sensory attributes. HTC increased the tenderness of LD samples, had no effect on SM samples and decreased the tenderness of ST samples. Electrical stimulation of carcasses, prior to boning and high temperature conditioning, had little effect over and above high temperature conditioning alone but did reduce variability. In LD samples, ES improved the sensory attributes whereas in ST samples, ES tended to decrease sensory attributes.