Beef longissimus eating quality increases up to 20 weeks of storage and is unrelated to meat colour at carcass grading
J. M. Hughes A E , N. G. McPhail A , G. Kearney B , F. Clarke C and R. D. Warner A DA CSIRO Food and Nutrition Flagship, 39 Kessels Road, Coopers Plains, Qld 4108, Australia.
B 36 Paynes Road, Hamilton, Vic. 3300, Australia.
C School of Biomolecular and Physical Sciences, Griffith University, Nathan, Qld 4111, Australia.
D Present address: Department of Veterinary and Agricultural Science, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Vic. 3010, Australia.
E Corresponding author. Email: joanne.hughes@csiro.au
Animal Production Science 55(2) 174-179 https://doi.org/10.1071/AN14304
Submitted: 13 March 2014 Accepted: 9 July 2014 Published: 19 December 2014
Abstract
Optimal beef meat colour is associated with increased consumer acceptance, whereas dark or pale meat has a reduced desirability. Dark beef also has a variable eating quality and reduced shelf-life. We hypothesised that a poor meat colour at carcass grading would generate an unacceptable eating quality after vacuum-packed chilled storage for up to 20 weeks, due to the unfavourable pH conditions commonly associated with light and dark muscles. At three beef processing plants, beef longissimus muscles from 81 pasture- and grain-fed cattle (mix of Bos taurus and Bos indicus × Bos taurus) were graded at ~24 h post-slaughter for meat colour. The carcasses were allocated to light, medium and dark colour groups, with n = 27 carcasses per colour group. From the 81 carcasses, a total of 162 longissimus lumborum (LL) muscles was collected and half LLs were randomly allocated to three ageing times (2, 12, 20 weeks) within colour group and six half LLs were used per colour group within storage period and plant. Vacuum-packed muscles were stored at –1.0 ± 0.5°C for the designated period and sampled for biochemical and sensory assessments. The effects of colour group, storage week and carcass traits were analysed. Dark muscles had higher pH than the lighter ones (P < 0.05). The carcass trait dentition, feed type and fat depth did not influence the eating quality (P > 0.05). After 2, 12 and 20 weeks of vacuum-packed chilled storage; eating quality was similar for all 3 meat-colour groups (P > 0.05). With increasing storage time, all eating-quality attributes improved (P < 0.001 for all). Lipid oxidation increased with storage time and although values at 20 weeks were slightly above accepted levels for rancidity detection, MQ4 scores indicated that the meat would still be categorised as a three-star product, indicative of the opportunity to store the longissimus lumborum (LL) for this length of time, while maintaining an acceptable eating quality, regardless of meat colour at carcass grading.
Additional keywords: ageing, lipid oxidation, consumer assessment, sensory assessment, shelf-life.
References
AUS-MEAT (2005) ‘Handbook of Australian Meat (International Red Meat Manual).’ (Ed. I King) (AUS-MEAT: Brisbane).Bond JJ, Warner RD (2007) Ion distribution and protein proteolysis affect water holding capacity of longissimus thoracis et lumborum in meat of lamb subjected to antemortem exercise. Meat Science 75, 406–414.
| Ion distribution and protein proteolysis affect water holding capacity of longissimus thoracis et lumborum in meat of lamb subjected to antemortem exercise.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DC%2BD2sXhtVSrsA%3D%3D&md5=b774394570801f7c29247962edbbe07cCAS | 22063796PubMed |
Campo MM, Nute GR, Hughes SI, Enser M, Wood JD, Richardson RI (2006) Flavour perception of oxidation in beef. Meat Science 72, 303–311.
| Flavour perception of oxidation in beef.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DC%2BD2MXhtFOgsLjO&md5=23402bc7664c123e8a15fede95c1d71fCAS | 22061558PubMed |
Food Science Australia F (2002) ‘Storage life of meat.’ Available at http://www.meatupdate.csiro.au/Storage-Life-of-Meat.pdf [Verified June 2014]
Gee A, Porter M, Polkinghorne R (2005) ‘Protocols for the thawing, preparation and serving of beef for MSA trials for 5 different cooking methods.’ Available at www.mla.com.au/ [Verified June 2013]
Greene BE, Cumuze TH (1982) Relationship between TBA numbers and inexperienced panelists’assessments of oxidized flavor in cooked beef. Journal of Food Science 47, 52–54.
| Relationship between TBA numbers and inexperienced panelists’assessments of oxidized flavor in cooked beef.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Hunt M, Hedrick HB (1977) Chemical, physical and sensory characteristics of bovine muscle from four quality groups. Journal of Food Science 42, 716–720.
| Chemical, physical and sensory characteristics of bovine muscle from four quality groups.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DyaE2sXkt1SktLo%3D&md5=eedc5be2d6d292d4a777d5def4e46273CAS |
Jeremiah LE, Carpenter ZL, Smith GC (1972) Beef colour as related to consumer acceptance and palatability. Journal of Food Science 37, 476–479.
| Beef colour as related to consumer acceptance and palatability.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Jones RJ (2004) Observations on the succession dynamics of lactic acid bacteria populations in chill-stored vacuum-packaged beef. International Journal of Food Microbiology 90, 273–282.
| Observations on the succession dynamics of lactic acid bacteria populations in chill-stored vacuum-packaged beef.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 14751682PubMed |
Labadie J (1999) Consequences of packaging on bacterial growth. Meat is an ecological niche. Meat Science 52, 299–305.
| Consequences of packaging on bacterial growth. Meat is an ecological niche.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:STN:280:DC%2BC3MbnsFSmuw%3D%3D&md5=5eb35ea6ed4101774217bba8132616beCAS | 22062579PubMed |
Legrand I, Hocquette JF, Polkinghorne R, Pethick DW (2013) Prediction of beef eating quality in France using the Meat Standards Australia system. animal 7, 524–529.
| Prediction of beef eating quality in France using the Meat Standards Australia system.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:STN:280:DC%2BC3s%2FitVeltw%3D%3D&md5=1dac14108039cee947ccc78df57d8573CAS | 23031268PubMed |
Livisay SA, Xiong YL, Moody WG (1996) Proteolytic activity and calcium effect in dark–firm–dry and pale–soft–exudative meat. LWT: Food Science and Technology 29, 123–128.
| Proteolytic activity and calcium effect in dark–firm–dry and pale–soft–exudative meat.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DyaK28XisFOjtrw%3D&md5=9167eeafeffb2ce983d03236c1c2541fCAS |
Meat and Livestock Australia (2011) ‘Meat Standards Australia beef information kit.’ Available at http://www.mla.com.au/News-and-resources/Publication-details?pubid=6009 [Verified 10 June 2014]
Meat and Livestock Australia (2014) ‘Eating quality assured chilled Australian beef.’ Available at http://www.australian-meat.com/uploadedFiles/Foodservice/Resources/Publications/EQA_Broch.pdf [Verified 10 June 2014]
Moore VJ, Gill CO (1987) The pH and display life of chilled lamb after prolonged storage under vacuum or under CO2. New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research 30, 449–452.
| The pH and display life of chilled lamb after prolonged storage under vacuum or under CO2.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Noll F, Bergmeyer HU (1985) L+lactate determination. In ‘Methods of enzymatic analysis’. (Ed. HU Bergmeyer) pp. 583–588. (VCH Verlagsgesellschaft: Weinheim, Germany)
Polkinghorne R, Thompson JM, Watson R, Gee A, Porter M (2008) Evolution of the Meat Standards Australia (MSDA) beef grading system. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 48, 1351–1359.
| Evolution of the Meat Standards Australia (MSDA) beef grading system.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Rey CR, Kraft AA, Topel DG, Parrish FC, Hotchkiss DK (1976) Microbiology of pale, dark and normal pork. Journal of Food Science 41, 111–116.
| Microbiology of pale, dark and normal pork.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Small AH, Jenson I, Kiermeier A, Sumner J (2012) Vacuum-packed beef primals with extremely long shelf life have unusual microbiological counts. Journal of Food Protection 75, 1524–1527.
| Vacuum-packed beef primals with extremely long shelf life have unusual microbiological counts.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 22856581PubMed |
Thompson JM, Polkinghorne R, Hearnshaw H, Ferguson DM (1999) Meat standards Australia. A ‘PACCP’ based beef grading scheme for consumers. 2. PACCP requirements which apply to the production sector. In ‘International congress of meat science and technology (ICoMST). Vol. 45’. pp. 16.
Thompson JM, McIntyre BM, Tudor GD, Pethick DW, Polkinghorne R, Watson R (2008) Effects of hormonal growth promotants (HGP) on growth, carcass characteristics, the palatability of different muscles in the beef carcass and their interaction with aging. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 48, 1405–1414.
| Effects of hormonal growth promotants (HGP) on growth, carcass characteristics, the palatability of different muscles in the beef carcass and their interaction with aging.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DC%2BD1cXht1Ggtb%2FM&md5=a25a61723834c53b01d51449ac5072b0CAS |
Viljoen HF, de Kock HL, Webb EC (2002) Consumer acceptability of dark, firm and dry (DFD) and normal pH beef steaks. Meat Science 61, 181–185.
| Consumer acceptability of dark, firm and dry (DFD) and normal pH beef steaks.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:STN:280:DC%2BC3Mbns1antA%3D%3D&md5=e7f6ffedf8f293db8209f81b7f2022c9CAS | 22064007PubMed |
Warner RD, Thompson JM, Polkinghorne R, Gutzke D, Kearney GA (2014) A consumer sensory study of the influence of rigor temperature on eating quality and ageing potential of beef striploin and rump. Animal Production Science 54, 396–406.
| A consumer sensory study of the influence of rigor temperature on eating quality and ageing potential of beef striploin and rump.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Watson R, Gee A, Polkinghorne R, Porter M (2008) Consumer assessment of eating quality: development of protocols for Meat Standards Australia (MSA) testing. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 48, 1360–1367.
| Consumer assessment of eating quality: development of protocols for Meat Standards Australia (MSA) testing.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Witte VC, Krause GF, Bailey ME (1970) A new extraction method for determining 2-thiobarbituric acid values of pork and beef during storage. Journal of Food Science 35, 582–585.
| A new extraction method for determining 2-thiobarbituric acid values of pork and beef during storage.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DyaE3MXmtlahsQ%3D%3D&md5=0b7387b82668e2f93f80dfb62b7e26c8CAS |
Wulf DM, Emnett RS, Leheska JM, Moeller SJ (2002) Relationships among glycolytic potential, dark cutting (dark, firm, and dry) beef, and cooked beef palatability. Journal of Animal Science 80, 1895–1903.
Yancey EJ, Dikeman ME, Hachmeister KA, Chambers E, Milliken GA (2005) Flavor characterization of top-blade, top-sirloin, and tenderloin steaks as affected by pH, maturity, and marbling. Journal of Animal Science 83, 2618–2623.
Young OA, Braggins TJ (1993) Tenderness of ovine semimembranosus: is collagen concentration or solubility the critical factor? Meat Science 35, 213–222.
| Tenderness of ovine semimembranosus: is collagen concentration or solubility the critical factor?Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DyaK3sXmsVynsbg%3D&md5=e21a2adc748cc2b5206d681241cac3f0CAS | 22061032PubMed |
