Effects of Enhancement and Modified Atmosphere Packaging on Flavor and Tenderness of Dark-Cutting Beef

Abstract

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of rosemary/beef flavor enhancement and modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) on retail display color and palatability of beef longissimus lumborum muscle. Dark-cutting beef strip loins (n = 8; pH > 6.0) and USDA Low Choice beef strip loins (n = 5) were selected from a commercial packing plant within 72 h of harvest. Dark-cutting strip loins were divided into 2 equal sections and randomly assigned to either nonenhanced or rosemary/beef flavor–enhanced treatments. Dark-cutting enhanced loins were injected to 110% of their green weight with a rosemary/beef flavor enhancement to attain 0.1% rosemary, 0.5% salt, and 0.55% beef flavor in the final product. Six 2.54-cm-thick steaks were cut from nonenhanced USDA Choice, nonenhanced dark-cutting, and enhanced dark-cutting strip loins and randomly assigned to one of 3 packaging treatments: vacuum packaging, carbon monoxide MAP (0.4% CO, 69.6% N, and 30% CO2), and high-oxygen MAP (80% O2 and 20% CO2). Following 3-d retail display, instrumental color measurements were recorded, and one steak from each packaging type was evaluated by a trained sensory taste panel and another used to measure Warner-Bratzler shear force. Enhanced dark-cutting steaks packaged in high-oxygen MAP and carbon monoxide MAP had greater a* values (P < 0.0001) than dark-cutting steaks in vacuum packaging. Enhanced dark-cutting steaks were lighter (P < 0.0001, greater L* values) than nonenhanced dark-cutting steaks. Nonenhanced dark-cutting steaks exhibited a lower (P = 0.03) overall juiciness compared to enhanced dark-cutting steaks. Enhanced and nonenhanced dark-cutting steaks were more tender (P = 0.002) than the USDA Choice steaks. Enhanced dark-cutting steaks had higher (P = 0.006) sour flavor in vacuum packaging than other packaging types. The results suggest that rosemary/beef flavor enhancement has the potential to improve the surface color of dark-cutting beef while improving or maintaining palatability.