Optimization of textural and technological parameters using response surface methodology for the development of beef products for older consumers

Impact of adding papain to sous vide cooking on texture and sensorial traits of marinated semitendinosus beefsteaks

Sous vide meat is an emerging food category, the consumption of which has increased owing to greater convenience, sensory traits, elderly consumers acceptance, and low-cost cuts use. However, required prolonged thermal treatment to achieve desired tenderness, impact energy-consumption besides triggering lipid oxidation, undesired off-flavors, and cooked meat profiles. Using a response surface methodology (RSM), this study evaluated the effects of the vegetal proteolytic papain (0 to 20 mg/kg) and low-temperature sous vide cooking (SVC) time (1 to 8 h at 65°C) in low-value marinated M. semitendinosus beefsteaks on technological characteristics associated with tenderness, and lipid oxidation. Additionally, the sensory profile traits of the pre-selected treatments were described using check-all-that-apply (CATA) and preference mapping. Shear force (WBsSF) was reduced with greater papain addition, whereas higher cooking losses (CL) were observed with longer SVC cooking times. Both the released total collagen and TBARS values increased with increasing papain concentrations and SVC times. Combining high levels of papain (>10 mg/kg) and SVC time (>6 h) resulted in lower WBsSF values (<20 N) but higher CL (>27%) and the CATA descriptors "aftertaste" and "mushy." The optimized conditions (14 mg/kg papain; 2 h SVC) also reduced WBsSF values (<26 N) with lower CL (<20%) and were most preferred and described as "juicy" and "tender" by consumers. Observed results suggest that combined mild SVC and papain may potentiate tenderness, conjointly favor juiciness and oxidation, further representing a promising tool for reducing SVC time without compromising valued sous vide sensory traits.

Improving the textural and microstructural quality of cow meat by black chokeberry, grape, and hawthorn vinegar-based marination

This study was designed to investigate the effects of vinegar-based marinades on pH, technological properties, color, microstructure, texture, and sensory characteristics of 9-year-old Holstein meat which had tough texture. To marinate the Longissimus lumborum steaks, three different marinades were prepared depending on the different additions of vinegar: black chokeberry (BV), grape (GV), and hawthorn vinegars (HV). The group with water (without vinegar) was prepared as a control sample (C). The steak samples were dipped into the vinegar-based marinades and stored at 4°C for 24 h. Vinegar-based marinades decreased the pH and cooking loss of the samples (p < .05). The highest a* values were determined in the BV group, while the samples marinated with vinegar-based marinades had lower L* values than the control group (p < .05). The samples marinated with grape vinegar marinade had the lowest hardness, WBSF, and WBSE values (p < .05). SEM images and sensory analysis results also supported these texture results. The results suggest that grape vinegar-based marinade may be a promising natural tenderizer to improve textural characteristics of tough meats.

Effects of Marinades Prepared from Food Industry By-Products on Quality and Biosafety Parameters of Lamb Meat

This study aimed to develop marinade formulas based on by-products from the dairy, berry, and fruit industries and apply them to lamb meat (LM) treatments to improve the safety and quality characteristics of the meat. To fulfil this aim, six marinade (M) formulations were created based on acid whey (AW) fermented with Lacticaseibacillus casei (Lc) and Liquorilactobacillus uvarum (Lu), either alone or combined with freeze-dried apple (AP) or blackcurrant (BC) pomace. The most appropriate fermentation times for the marinades were selected according to the lower pH values and higher viable LAB counts in the samples. Additionally, the antimicrobial activity of the selected marinades against pathogenic and opportunistic bacterial strains was tested. The characteristics of the LM were analysed after 24 and 48 h of treatment, including physicochemical, technological, and microbiological parameters, as well as overall acceptability. It was established that, after 48 h of fermentation, all of the tested marinades, except M-AWLuBC, had lactic acid bacterial counts > 8.0 log10 CFU·mL−1 and pH values < 3.74. The broadest spectra of pathogen inhibition were observed in the M-AWLuAP and M-AWLuBC marinades. The latter formulations improved the water holding capacity (WHC) and overall acceptability of the LM, while, in the LM-AWLcAP samples, histamine, cadaverine, putrescine, tryptamine, and phenylethylamine were not formed. Lastly, LM treatment with the M-AWLcAP and M-AWLuAP formulas for 48 h achieved the highest overall acceptability (9.04 and 9.43), tenderness (1.53 and 1.47 kg·cm−2) and WHC (2.95% and 3.5%) compared to the control samples.

Application of Plant Proteases in Meat Tenderization: Recent Trends and Future Prospects

Papain, bromelain, and ficin are commonly used plant proteases used for meat tenderization. Other plant proteases explored for meat tenderization are actinidin, zingibain, and cucumin. The application of plant crude extracts or powders containing higher levels of compounds exerting tenderizing effects is also gaining popularity due to lower cost, improved sensory attributes of meat, and the presence of bioactive compounds exerting additional benefits in addition to tenderization, such as antioxidants and antimicrobial effects. The uncontrolled plant protease action could cause excessive tenderization (mushy texture) and poor quality due to an indiscriminate breakdown of proteins. The higher cost of separation and the purification of enzymes, unstable structure, and poor stability of these enzymes due to autolysis are some major challenges faced by the food industry. The meat industry is targeting the recycling of enzymes and improving their stability and shelf-life by immobilization, encapsulation, protein engineering, medium engineering, and stabilization during tenderization. The present review critically analyzed recent trends and the prospects of the application of plant proteases in meat tenderization.

The study of physicochemical and technological properties of boiled sausage recommended for the older adults

A recipe for cooked sausages of the herodietic direction using protein hydrolysate in the amount of 3%, 5%, and 7% of the mass of raw materials is proposed. The recipe is based on "Beef Sausage". Organoleptic evaluation of the prototypes showed that when protein hydrolysate was added in an amount of 7%, a specific taste characteristic of by-products was present in the prototype. Based on the sensory evaluation results, it was decided to continue the study of samples with the addition of 3% and 5% protein hydrolysate. The results of the study of the physicochemical parameters of the prototypes with the addition of protein hydrolysate 3% and 5%, showed the values of the mass fraction of protein 16.65% and 19.29%, fat 9.85% and 12.25%, carbohydrates 2.85% and 3.07% respectively, indicating an increase in the amount of protein and a decrease in the proportion of fat compared to the control sample. A significant increase in the content of such essential amino acids as lysine and valine and interchangeable amino acids as arginine, glycine, and serine in the test samples confirms that the protein hydrolysate introduced into the prototype is rich and well-balanced in amino acid composition. To study the effect of protein hydrolysate on the quality of meat products, the moisture binding capacity was determined, which was 3% and 5% in the experimental samples with the addition of protein hydrolysate – 75.62% and 79.13%, which is 3.4% and 8.2% higher than that of the control sample, respectively. The sample with the addition of 5% hydrolysate (80.01) has the greatest moisture-retaining ability, which is 9% higher than that of the sample with 3% hydrolysate and 15.8% higher than the control indicator.  The study results of the fat-holding capacity in the samples also showed positive dynamics.

An Overview on the Use of Response Surface Methodology to Model and Optimize Extraction Processes in the Food Industry

Response surface methodology (RSM) is a widely used tool for modeling and optimization for food processes. The objective of this review is to evaluate recent findings on the use of RSM in the extraction of compounds from agri-food products. First, the steps for the application of RSM were briefly detailed. According to the analysis performed, RSM is suitable because it evaluates the effects of the independent variables and their interactions on the responses, which is ideal for the optimization of different techniques for the extraction of multiple bioactive compounds and therefore, in the various studies, has allowed to significantly increase the yield and even the biological activities of the extracts; however, RSM has limitations and considering the complexity and dynamics of foods, the challenge is much greater. In this sense, it was determined that simultaneous use with other techniques is necessary in order to optimally describe the process and obtain more accurate results.

Influence of Marination with Aromatic Herbs and Cold Pressed Oils on Black Angus Beef Meat

Beef aging is one of the most common methods used for improving its qualities. The main goal of the present study was to analyse the influence of different cold pressed oils and aromatic herbs during marination process on the nutritional, textural, and sensory attributes of the final grilled sirloin samples. In order to fulfil this goal, methods like GC-MS, HPLC/DAD/ESI-MS, HLPC-RID were performed to quantify fatty acids, phenolic acids, and organic acids, respectively. Textural and sensory analysis were performed with CT 3 Texture Analyser and hedonic test. The results showed high improvement of the meat grilled samples regarding the content of phenolic acids, and textural and sensory characteristics. Pearson values indicate strong positive correlations between raw and grilled samples regarding their content in phenolic acids. Hardness, chewiness, gumminess decreased during marination, meanwhile, resilience, and cohesiveness increased. Sensory analysis highlighted that meat samples marinated with olive oil and rosemary for 120 h reached the highest hedonic score among the tested samples.

The influence of the interaction of sous-vide cooking time and papain concentration on tenderness and technological characteristics of meat products

The food industry has been slow in harnessing technological developments to expand opportunities and benefit the community. One such opportunity is in the application of proteolytic enzymes to the development of softer-textured meat products that require reduced mastication force, for those with impaired dentition, and reduced strength including older adults. Proteolytic enzymes haven't been fully explored for their potential in this area. Here a response surface methodology (RSM) was applied to model the interactive effects of sous-vide and papain application on texture, color, and cooking loss of meat. An innovative meat product formulation with a reduced toughness (120 min cooking sous-vide and 0.01 mg papain/100 g) was optimized and the technological performance of the formulation was validated. Bias values of the optimized model were in the range of 0.97 to 1.06, while accuracy factors for shear force values, chewiness, TPA hardness, cooking loss, color parameters ranged from 1.00 and 1.06, both of which metrics indicated the reliability of the resultant models.

The applicability of using a protease extracted from cashew fruits (Anacardium occidentale), as possible meat tenderizer: An experimental design approach

Meat tenderness is one of the most important organoleptic properties in determining consumer acceptance in meat product marketability. Therefore, an effective meat tenderization method is sought after by exploring plant-derived proteolytic enzymes as meat tenderizer. In this study, a novel protease from Cashew was identified as a new alternative halal meat tenderizer. The extraction of cashew protease was optimized using response surface methodology (R² = 0.9803) by varying pH, CaCl₂ concentration, mixing time, and mass. pH 6.34, 7.92 mM CaCl₂ concentration, 5.51 min mixing time, and 19.24 g sample mass were the optimal extraction conditions. There was no significant difference (n = 3; p < 0.05) between the calculated (6.302 units/ml) and experimental (6.493 ± 0.229 units/ml) protease activity. The ascending order of the effects was pH < mixing time < CaCl₂  < sample mass. In meat tenderizing application, the meat samples treated with 9% (v/w) crude protease extract obtained the lowest shear force (1.38 ± 0.25 N) to cause deformation on the meat. An electrophoretic analysis showed that protein bands above ~49.8 kDa were completely degraded into protein bands below ~22.4 kDa. Scanning electron microscopy shows the disruption of the muscle fibers after being treated by the Cashew protease. The results of this study show the Cashew (Anacardium occidentale) crude extract can be used as an alternative of the animal and microbial protease as meat tenderizer and subsequently overcome the shortcoming of the halal industrial protease.