Low Fat Level Effects on Sensory, Shear, Cooking, and Chemical Properties of Ground Beef Patties

Two experiments were conducted to determine the effects of targeted fat level (0, 4, 8, 12, 16, 20%) on sensory, shear, cooking and chemical properties of ground beef patties. Frozen patties from all fat levels were cooked to achieve similar cooking yields. As fat levels decreased, tenderness, juiciness and flavor ratings decreased and shear force increased, with more pronounced differences at lower fat levels. Patties processed with 0% fat were rated lower in juiciness and flavor compared to all other fat levels. These studies suggested that alterations in processing and cooking would probably be necessary to achieve acceptance of extremely low-fat beef patties.