Effect of hot water treatment of beef trimmings on processing characteristics and eating quality of ground beef

Processing interventions for enhanced microbiological safety of beef carcasses and beef products: A review

Chilled beef is inevitably contaminated with microorganisms, starting from the very beginning of the slaughter line. A lot of studies have aimed to improve meat safety and extend the shelf life of chilled beef, of which some have focused on improving the decontamination effects using traditional decontamination interventions, and others have investigated newer technologies and methods, that offer greater energy efficiency, lower environmental impacts, and better assurances for the decontamination of beef carcasses and cuts. To inform industry, there is an urgent need to review these interventions, analyze the merits and demerits of each technology, and provide insight into 'best practice' to preserve microbial safety and beef quality. In this review, the strategies and procedures used to inhibit the growth of microorganisms on beef, from slaughter to storage, have been critiqued. Critical aspects, where there is a lack of data, have been highlighted to help guide future research. It is also acknowledge that different intervention programs for microbiological safety have different applications, dependent on the initial microbial load, the type of infrastructures, and different stages of beef processing.

Functionality and consumer acceptability of low-fat breakfast sausages processed with non-meat ingredients of pulse derivatives

BACKGROUND

Owing to recent changes in consumer eating behaviours as well as potential cost savings for processors, pulse ingredients are finding more application in the meat processing industry. In this study, pea ingredients (pea fibre, FB; pea starch, ST; pea flour, PF) and chickpea flour (CF) were used, at 4% addition level, as fat replacers in low-fat breakfast sausages. The impact of these substitutions on processing and sensory characteristics of breakfast sausage was evaluated.

RESULTS

While reduction in fat content in breakfast sausage resulted in some detrimental changes in cooking as well as textural characteristics of the product, addition of binders significantly improved these attributes in low-fat breakfast sausages. Overall, treatment formulation did not significantly affect the pH and the instrumental colour attributes of cooked breakfast sausage. Addition of all binders resulted in reduced cooking loss and increased moisture retention in low-fat breakfast sausage (P < 0.05), whereas, FB and ST were significantly more effective in improving water holding capacity of low-fat breakfast sausage. Furthermore, while both FB and ST increased the hardness, cohesiveness and chewiness parameters of low-fat breakfast sausage (P < 0.05), PF and CF had no impact. Generally, the consumer overall liking and flavour acceptability of FB and ST in low-fat breakfast sausage were significantly higher than those of PF and CF.

CONCLUSION

The use of ST or FB as a fat replacer in breakfast sausages offers processors improved cook yield without negatively impacting the important sensory attributes of breakfast sausages. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.

The Relationship between Lipid Content in Ground Beef Patties with Rate of Discoloration and Lipid Oxidation during Simulated Retail Display

The relationships between the lipid content, lipid oxidation, and discoloration rate of ground beef during a simulated retail display were characterized in this study. A total of 276 batches of ground beef were manufactured with inside rounds and subcutaneous fat from 138 beef carcasses at different targeted levels of lean:fat. There was a total of four different targeted grind levels during the manufacture of the ground beef, and the lipid content for the samples used in this study ranged from 2% to 32% total lipid. Fatty acid composition was determined based on subcutaneous fat, whereas the proximate composition of moisture and total lipids, instrumental color, visual discoloration, and lipid oxidation measured as thiobarbituric acid reactive substances were evaluated on ground beef patties during 7 days of simulated retail at 4 °C display under LED lights. Analysis for the correlation and the creation of linear regression models indicated that lipid content played a more critical role in the discoloration rate compared to lipid oxidation and fatty acid composition. Lipid oxidation could be more reliably predicted by lipid content and instrumental color compared to visual discoloration. Overall, ground beef formulated with greater lipid content is expected to experience greater rates of lipid oxidation and discoloration during retail display.

Evaluating Ground Beef Formulated with Different Fat Sources

Objectives were to evaluate effects of fat source and formulated fat percentage on fatty acid composition, lean color stability, lipid oxidation, and aerobic microbial load during simulated retail display of ground beef patties. In Experiment 1 beef carcasses (n = 30) were chilled for 2 d and then fabricated. M. semimembranosus muscles were removed along with 2 fat sources (kidney and pelvic = KP and subcutaneous = S from the same carcass) and ground to achieve 75 and 95% lean. Fatty acid profile and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) were determined over a 7 d simulated retail display period. Saturated fat differed (P = 0.0004) by fat source, with KP having a higher percentage than S. Thiobarbituric acid reactive substances were higher for (P < 0.05) for patties made with S compared to KP. In Experiment 2 beef carcasses (n = 20), were fabricated and blended into ground beef as described in Experiment 1. After designated display time patties were removed and instrumental color measurement, myoglobin concentration, TBARS, and aerobic plate counts (APC) were collected. Oxymyoglobin (OMb) percentage decreased (P < 0.0001) by storage day and had source x formulated fat percentage interaction (P = 0.011). Inversely, storage day increased metmyoglobin (MMb) percentage (P < 0.0001) where d 1 < d 3 < d 5 < d 7, respectively. Changes in myoglobin form contributed to decreased a* values (P < 0.0001) over time. However, APC did not differ (P > 0.05) for d, fat source, or fat percentage. Discoloration in ground beef over 7 d of retail display was more a function of muscle pigment oxidation (OMb to MMb) than aerobic microbial spoilage.

Using Pretreatment of Carbon Monoxide Combined with Chlorine Dioxide and Lactic Acid to Maintain Quality of Vacuum-Packaged Fresh Beef

Due to microbial growth, beef easily gets corrupt in retail conditions, and the color and quality of the meat will be deteriorated. Therefore, hurdle technology, namely, pretreatment of carbon monoxide (CO), chlorine dioxide, and lactic acid, is used for vacuum-packaged beef to decontaminate beef and increase its quality stability. Beef was pretreated with 100% CO (C1), 100% CO and 50 mg/L chlorine dioxide (C2), and 100% CO and 50 mg/L chlorine dioxide and 30 g/L lactic acid (C3). The untreated samples were used as control (CK). During storage, thea⁎color parameters of C1, C2, and C3 were significantly higher than that of CK, indicating CO pretreatment is a good way to maintain color appearance of beef, and chlorine dioxide and lactic acid did not affect the color-protecting role of CO on beef. C3 showed the strongest antimicrobial activity with the lowest total viable counts, followed by C2, C1, and CK. Samples in C3 also showed the lowest total volatile basic nitrogen, pH, thiobarbituric acid reactive substance, and metmyoglobin during the mid-late storage. Moreover, C3 can keep beef with higher unsaturated fatty acids. In conclusion, CO pretreatment combined with chlorine dioxide and lactic acid displayed efficient antimicrobial and color-stability activity for vacuum-packaged beef. It would be a potential way to use pretreatment of CO combined with chlorine dioxide and lactic acid to maintain the quality of vacuum-packaged beef.