Abstract
We evaluated the effect of frozen storage temperature and thawing methods on acceptance and sensory profile of steaks of Nellore beef strip loin under 30 days of frozen storage. Fresh strip loin (n = 13), collected two days after slaughter, were aged (2 °C) for 14 days and cut into seven steaks subjected to one of the treatments: control (unfrozen), combination of two freezing temperatures (−10 and −20 °C), and three thawing methods (microwave, ambient temperature, and refrigeration thawing). Steaks in the frozen/thawing treatment were frozen using an ultra-fast freezer until the desirable temperature was reached and were stored for 30 days. After cooking, steaks were analyzed by 11 panelists for the Quantitative Descriptive Analysis (QDA®) and by 120 beef consumers for acceptance. Storage temperature and thawing methods showed little or no changes in the sensory quality of strip loin steaks, detected by either panelists or consumers. In the QDA®, apparent juiciness was lower in samples thawed in microwave, while the rancid flavor was lower for samples frozen at −20 °C and thawed in refrigeration ( p < 0.05). The consumer test showed that samples stored at −10 °C and microwave thawing was most accepted in terms of tenderness, juiciness, and overall impression. Fresh steaks (unfrozen) had low acceptance for overall impression in relation to frozen meat. This indicates that consumers could use a household freezer (−10 °C) and quicker thawing methods (microwave or room temperature) without compromising the sensory perception of steaks frozen up to one month.
Highlights
Frozen storage is a preservation method widely used for perishable food products, such as meat
We evaluated the effect of frozen storage temperature and thawing methods on acceptance and sensory profile of steaks of Nellore beef strip loin under 30 days of frozen storage
This study investigated the descriptive sensory profile and consumer acceptance of cooked strip loin steaks of Nellore beef subjected to different frozen storage temperatures (–10 and –20 °C) and thawed by three different methods
Summary
Frozen storage is a preservation method widely used for perishable food products, such as meat. Industries and retail stores normally operate with temperatures below –20 °C, while domestic freezers operate near –10 °C (Huang et al, 2013). Freezing could reduce meat quality, leading consumers to prefer unfrozen and thawed meat (Lagersted et al, 2008; Coombs et al, 2017). Thawing is used to restore the original food quality as much as possible and is crucial (Leygonie et al, 2012). The influence of thawing on meat quality is determined by temperature, time, and methods (Kondratowicz et al, 2006). Inappropriate thawing may compromise meat quality, especially texture, flavor, and color (Benjakul et al, 2003)
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