The objectives were to investigate intramuscular fat (IMF) content,Warner–Bratzler shear force(WBSF) and sensory attributes of Chinese fattened yellow crossbred steer beef with different quality grades, and to determine the relationship between WBSF and Chinese consumers' sensory tender. WBSF of grades A1 to A5 decreased from 50.6 N to 33.1 N with IMF % increased from4.26 to 24.55 (P b 0.05). Consumer panelists showed more likeability grades A4 and A5 with no difference between them. Grades A2 and A3 were slightly preferred (P b 0.05). Grade A1 was undesirable. A regression relationship between WBSF and sensory tender was found, which indicated that consumers disliked beef when WBSF N55.43 N and preferred those with WBSF b41.4 N. The range of 41.4 N to 55.43 N was intermediate. Hence, WBSF N55.43 & b41.4 N allow classification of tough and tender for beef tenderness for Chinese consumers, and grade A4 was recommended as suitable top grade.

We determined if tall fescue in a mixture with either tannin-containing sainfoin or saponin-containing alfalfa affected cattle foraging behavior, performance, meat quality, and consumer acceptance of meat. Foraging behavior, BW, and pasture biomass before and after grazing were monitored when cattle strip-grazed 3 replications of 2 treatments from May through September 2010 (12 calves/replication) and from June through September 2012 (8 calves/replication). Animals were allowed a choice between tall fescue and sainfoin (SAN) or tall fescue and alfalfa (ALF) growing in strips (fescue, legume, and fescue-legume mixture). Incidence of use (scan samples) of legumes increased from the beginning to the end of the trials (P < 0.05), suggesting that cattle learned to mix legumes with tall fescue. Scan samples and assessments of pasture biomass removal revealed greater use of sainfoin than alfalfa when both legumes were abundant in the spring (P < 0.05); that pattern reversed toward the end of the growing season (P < 0.05) as the abundance of sainfoin declined more than that of alfalfa. Intake of forage per kilogram of gain was greater for SAN than for ALF in 2010 (P = 0.0003) and showed a tendency to be greater for SAN than ALF in 2012 (P = 0.19). There were no differences in ADG between SAN and ALF in either year (1 kg/d; P > 0.05). No incidences of bloat were detected. When cattle (3 calves/treatment in 2010 and 8 calves/treatment in 2012) were slaughtered in September to assess meat quality and consumer acceptance, carcasses were lean (4% to 6% fat content of the longissimus muscle), but compared with ALF, SAN had higher marbling scores, quality grades (Select versus Standard), and back fat thicknesses (P < 0.05) in 2012. Steaks from cattle finished on SAN were redder in color than steaks from cattle finished on ALF (P < 0.05; 2012). Meat samples from SAN and ALF showed some differences in unsaturated fatty acid profiles and volatiles concentrations (P < 0.05), but consumer acceptance did not differ between SAN and ALF (P > 0.05). Thus, cattle incorporated a lower-quality grass into their diets even when legumes were available ad libitum during most grazing trials. Choices between tall fescue and legumes differing in the type of secondary compound (tannins vs. saponins) and bloating potential influenced patterns of forage use by cattle and led to differences in meat quality.

Lambs were assigned to four groups of seven and treated as follows for 12 days: control group (BP) was fed beet pulp; group T (tannin remedy) received the BP diet including 80 g/kg of quebracho extract; group S (saponin remedy) received the BP diet including 15 g/kg of quillaja extract; and group C had a free choice between T and S remedies. Lipid oxidation was lower in meat from S lambs compared to T lambs (P < 0.05). Among the volatile compounds, lactate was lower in meat from S lambs compared to T animals (P = 0.05). Metabolomic analysis showed that the T treatment increased ribose, fructose, glucose and sorbitol concentration in meat (P < 0.05), while cholesterol was decreased by S and C treatments. The T treatment increased the concentration of C14:1 cis-9 (P < 0.05). These findings indicate that treatments for parasite control containing tannins and saponins do not detrimentally affect sheep meat quality.

Milk mineral (MM), a by-product of whey processing, is an effective antioxidant in meat systems, but the antioxidant mechanism has not been established. MM has been postulated to chelate iron and prevent iron-catalysis of lipid oxidation. The objective of this research was to examine this putative mechanism. MM was compared to sodium tripolyphosphate (STPP), calcium phosphate monobasic (CPM), and calcium pyrophosphate (CPP) to determine iron-binding capacity, sample solubility, and eluate soluble phosphorus after treating samples with a ferrous chloride standard. Scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray analysis was used to localize minerals on iron-treated MM particle surfaces. Histochemical staining for calcium was performed on raw and cooked ground beef samples with added MM. MM bound more iron per gram (P < 0.05) than the other compounds, and was much less soluble (P < 0.05) than either STPP or CPM. Mineral localization showed an even distribution of calcium, phosphorus, oxygen, and iron across the MM particle surface, directly demonstrating iron binding to MM particles. Unlike other common chelating agents, such as STPP and citrate, histochemical staining demonstrated that MM remained insoluble in ground beef, even after cooking. The ability of MM to bind iron and remain insoluble may enhance its antioxidant effect by removing iron ions from solution. However, MM particles must be small and well distributed in order to adequately bind iron throughout the food system.

The USDA FSIS meat and poultry jerky compliance guidelines recommend a high humidity or liquid immersion pasteurization step before drying. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of high humidity (>90%) or wet marinade pasteurization on jerky characteristics (water activity, moisture/protein ratio, total aerobic plate count [TAC]) and sensory properties. Jerky pasteurized by nonmarinade method A (76.6 degrees C dry bulb, 54.4 degrees C oven wet bulb temperature for 1 h) had highest sensory scores for spice intensity and interior cured color (redness), and generally lower TACs than jerky from marinade pasteurization methods. Jerky pasteurized by method B (54 degrees C for 121 min in marinade) had higher TACs than other methods. Approximately 2-log reduction in TAC was observed using marinade pasteurization in the smokehouse to internal temperature of 60 degrees for 12 min (method C), or in hot marinade to internal temperature of 70 degrees C before drying (method D), but jerky was less spicy and somewhat darker than jerky from method A. Extruded jerky (1.5-cm thickness) was similar to intact jerky for spice flavor intensity and interior redness, but required longer drying time to reach the target Aw of 0.85. Marinade pasteurization by methods C or D was feasible, and may be a preferred alternative for some processors, since monitoring of oven humidity during pasteurization is not necessary.

ABSTRACT: The study aimed at substituting nitrite with carbon monoxide (CO) in cooked or fermented meat batter products by investigating color and color stability in myoglobin solutions, model meat systems, and full‐scale hotdog and salami sausages of pork and beef. For cooked model meat systems and hotdogs at 75 to 80 °C core temperatures, direct flushing with a 1% CO gas mixture during the last stage of the batter chopping produced an initial red color equal to nitrite or more intense than with nitrite. For fermented model meat systems and salami sausages with a final pH of 4.7, pretreatment and storage of ground raw meat in a 1% CO mixture, and later use of the pretreated meat in batters, also formed an initial red color in the final products. The color stability during air and light display of cooked and fermented meat products with CO was inadequate compared to products with nitrite, although the red color of CO products was largely maintained by anaerobic packaging and storage. Spectra of carboxy‐ and nitrosomyoglobin at pH 4.7 demonstrated higher absorbance for carboxymyoglobin.

ABSTRACT: The objective of this study was to evaluate the possible antioxidant activity of raisin paste added to raw ground beef, pork, or chicken before cooking to 163 °C. Samples were held at 2 °C for up to 14 d. TBA values were measured using a distillation method, to avoid yellow color interference found in “wet” TBA methods. Sample meat flavor intensity, rancid flavor intensity, and raisin flavor intensity were evaluated by a trained panel (n = 6). Addition of raisin paste lowered (p < 0.05) TBA values and decreased panel scores for rancid flavor scores of all meat samples in a concentration‐dependent manner. Highest antioxidant effects were obtained with a minimum of 1.5%, 2.0%, or 2.0% raisin paste in cooked ground beef, pork, or chicken, respectively. There was a high correlation (0.93, 0.94, 0.94) between TBA values and sensory rancid flavor scores in beef, pork, and chicken samples respectively. Addition of a reducing sugar (glucose) was nearly as effective as raisins for maintenance of low TBA values and rancid flavor scores, probably due to antioxidant effects of Maillard browning products. There was no detectable raisin flavor in cooked ground beef samples with added raisins. However, all meats with added glucose had a higher raisin flavor intensity score than controls, indicating that panelists associated sweetness with raisin flavor. Maillard browning (sample darkening) was evident after cooking of ground chicken with either raisins or glucose.

ABSTRACTThe antioxidant effects of milk mineral (MM), sodium tripolyphosphate (STP), and vitamin E (E) were tested in raw ground beef packaged in 80% O2 modified atmosphere packaging, and held 1, 4, 7, or 14 d at 2 °C. Two levels of each antioxidant (0.75% and 1.5% MM, 0.25% and 0.5% STP, 50 or 100 ppm E) were compared with control samples without added antioxidants. Vitamin E was mixed with mineral oil or ethanol before mixing with meat samples. Thiobarbituric acid (TBA) values were highest (P < 0.05) in controls without antioxidants, and samples with added vitamin E. Lowest TBA values (<0.5) were in samples treated with 0.75% or 1.5% milk mineral. All ground beef samples maintained redness (a* > 10) through 4 d of storage. By day 7, ground beef treatments with added E were brown. After 14 d, ground beef with 0.75% MM was more red (P < 0.05) than other treatments or controls. Thus, 0.75% MM has possible application to prolong red color stability and inhibit lipid oxidation in ground beef packaged in high oxygen atmospheres.

The objective of this study was to determine the antioxidant activity of 1.5% milk mineral (MM) added to uncured cooked beef meatballs and to evaluate possible synergistic effects of MM in combination with 20-ppm or 40-ppm sodium nitrite in beef sausages. All treatments were also formulated with 1.5% salt and 10% added water. Thiobarbituric acid (TBA) values and Hunter color values were determined at 1 d, 8 d, and 15 d of storage at 2 degrees C. Meatball cooked yield was also measured. Cooked yield was not different (P < 0.05) between control meatballs and those containing MM. As expected, treatments containing nitrite had higher redness (CIE a*) than samples without nitrite. Redness values increased with storage time in sausages containing 40-ppm nitrite. However, redness values decreased (P < 0.05) during storage for control meatballs, associated with increased lipid oxidation (higher TBA values). Lipid oxidation was lower (P < 0.05) in samples containing 1.5% MM with TBA values < 1.2 after 15 d of storage compared with 6.1 for control samples. There was no synergistic inhibition of lipid oxidation in samples containing 20-ppm or 40-ppm sodium nitrite plus 1.5% MM. Milk mineral alone at 1.5% of meat weight was sufficient for inhibition of lipid oxidation in cooked beef samples.

Case-ready fresh beef is typically packaged in a modified-atmosphere with approximately 80% oxygen and 20% carbon dioxide. Recently, USDA approved distribution of fresh meats in a master bag system using 0.4% carbon monoxide (CO). This study compared effects of packaging system (vacuum, 80% oxygen, 0.4% carbon monoxide), fresh meat storage time (7–21 days) and cooking temperature (49–79 °C) on extent of myoglobin denaturation, color and rancidity in cooked top sirloin steaks. Steaks packaged in 80% oxygen or CO retained desirable red color for 14 and 21 days storage, respectively. Steaks stored in 80% oxygen exhibited the greatest TBA values and myoglobin denaturation at all storage times and cooking temperatures. Steaks stored in high oxygen developed brown interior color at internal temperatures as low as 57 °C, the premature browning effect. Premature browning and rancidity associated with steaks packaged in 80% oxygen was prevented by packaging in 0.4% CO or vacuum.

Twenty Angus crossbred steers were assigned to one of four treatments and followed from weaning to slaughter to study the effect of diet on the conjugated linoleic acid (C18:2 cis-9, trans-11 and C18:2 trans-10, cis-12 CLA isomers) content and quality of beef. During the adaptation period, treatments 1 (CTL), 2 (CLA), and 3 (GPS) received a diet consisting of 520 g corn silage, 213 g alfalfa hay, 250 g rolled barley, and 17 g mineral–vitamin premix/kg of dry matter (DM). Treatment 4 (PS) received alfalfa hay only. During the finishing period, CTL and CLA steers received a diet consisting of 123 g corn silage, 67 g alfalfa hay, 764 g rolled barley, and 46 g mineral–vitamin premix/kg of diet dry matter. In addition to the basal diet, CLA steers received 84 g/head/day of a synthetic mixture of partially rumen protected CLA isomers. The GPS and PS treatments were finished solely on pasture. Subcutaneous adipose tissue samples were collected from the M. longissimus dorsi at the end of the adaptation period, and both adipose and muscle tissues were collected from the longissimus and M. semitendinosus of each carcass at slaughter for fatty acid analysis. Beef tissues from PS and GPS steers had 466% and 218% more CLA (C18:2 cis-9, trans-11 isomer) at slaughter compared with beef tissues from CTL steers, respectively. Supplementing synthetic CLA did not increase C18:2 cis-9, trans-11 CLA content of beef, but increased trans-10, cis-12 CLA by 380% compare to beef from CTL animals. A trained taste panel detected no differences in tenderness or juiciness among treatments. However, beef from PS received higher off-flavor scores than other treatments. Raising cattle on forage and pasture with no grain supplementation enhances beef CLA content. Additionally, finishing cattle on pasture increased the vitamin E content of beef by 300% compared to beef from animals finished on a traditional high-grain diet.

The antioxidant effects of 0.5–2.0% milk mineral (MM) was tested in raw and cooked ground pork stored at 2 °C or −20 °C, compared to butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) and sodium tripolyphosphate (STP). TBA numbers were low and not different between raw meat treatments. TBA numbers were lower (P<0.01) for cooked treatments with MM or STP compared to controls or treatments with BHT. Experiments were also done to determine acceptability of pork samples with various TBA values, and to determine effect of holding time before serving on TBA values. Cooked pork patties held at 71 °C for 90 or 120 min had higher (P<0.05) TBA values than patties held for 0–60 min. Thus patties could be warmed for 60 min after cooking without significantly increasing TBA number. For paired-preference sensory testing, patties were cooked and stored at 2 °C for 0, 1, 2 and 3 days to obtain TBA numbers of 0.4, 1.5, 3.4 and 3.9 respectively. Panelists preferred (P<0.001) patties with TBA number <0.5, compared to patties with TBA numbers >1.4.

ABSTRACT: Cooked meat color is an important quality attribute for consumers. This study compared color and thiobarbituric acid (TBA) values of cooked ground beef (internal temperatures of 49 to 79 °C), after storage of raw product in atmospheres of 0.4% carbon monoxide (CO), 80% oxygen, or vacuum at 2 °C for 7 to 21 d. Premature browning, observed as a brown cooked color at internal temperatures as low as 49 °C, was found in patties made from meat stored in 80% oxygen. At all cooking temperatures, samples stored in high oxygen had less internal red color, higher myoglobin denaturation values, and were more rancid with higher TBA values than CO or vacuum‐packaged ground beef. Raw ground beef held in 0.4% CO modified‐atmosphere packaging (MAP) remained bright red throughout the 21‐d storage period. Premature browning and high TBA values in cooked patties were avoided by use of this packaging system. However, internal patty color remained somewhat red even at the highest internal cooking temperature of 79 °C. The persistent pink color observed in CO‐treated patties cooked to 79°C internal temperature was likely due to development of heat‐denatured CO‐hemochrome, rather than the presence of undenatured CO myoglobin. The problems of PMB and high TBA values of cooked patties were also avoided by vacuum packaging. However, the development of dark purple color associated with vacuum packaging of raw beef limits the use of this packaging method for products in retail display. Keywords: beef, packaging, carbon monoxide, oxygen

ABSTRACTThis study compared the effects of 1.4% or 2.7% sodium levulinate or sodium lactate on aerobic plate count (APC), color, pH, and TBA values of fresh pork and turkey sausage. Both sodium lactate and levulinate inhibited growth of aerobic microorganisms during storage compared to controls. Antimicrobial effects of sodium lactate were dose‐dependent, where as 2.7% lactate was significantly more antimicrobial than 1.4% lactate. This was not the case for sodium levulinate where 1.4% sodium levulinate was as inhibitory to microbial growth as 2.7% sodium levulinate. Additionally. 1.4% sodium levulinate was as inhibitory to microbial growth CIS the higher level (2.7%) of sodium lactate. TBA values, color and pH were not affected by either sodium lactate or levulinate. In conclusion, sodium levulinate may have potential as an antimicrobial agent in fresh sausage if it can be obtained at a reasonable cost on a commercial basis.

The objective was to use fat supplements mixed with a high-grain ration to increase conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) levels in beef cattle tissue and provide beef that is desirable to the consumer. Sixteen steers and 8 heifers (12-18 mo of age) were blocked according to sex and body weight and assigned to 1 of 4 treatments. Animals were fed a total mixed ration consisting of 74.7% ground barley, 17.8% alfalfa hay, 5.4% corn silage, and 2.1% vitamin/mineral supplement on a DM basis plus 300 g⋅hd-1⋅d-1 of either Megalac (ML) as control, fish oil (FO), partially rumen-protected trans fat (TF), or linseed oil (LO) as a fat supplement mixed into the total mixed ration. Animals were fed for an average of 148 d and then slaughtered between 450 and 590 kg live body weight. At slaughter, muscle and adipose tissue samples were collected from the loin and round and analyzed for fatty acid profile. All samples were pooled and the overall treatment means were reported. Tissues from TF and LO cattle had higher average cis-9 trans-11 CLA levels than FO and ML treatments (P ≤ 0.05). Cis-9 trans-11 CLA levels for ML, FO, TF, and LO were 0.24 b , 0.26 b , 0.45 a , and 0.41a % of total fatty acids, respectively. Trans-10 cis-12 CLA levels were not different between treatments (P ≤ 0.05) and averaged 0.016% of total fatty acids. Color stability tests were performed on top loin steaks for 21 d. By day 7, FO steaks had a higher hue angle (indicating brownness), which continued until day 20 (P ≤ 0.05). Neck muscle vitamin E values for ML, FO, TF, and LO were 2.35 ab