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Non-allergenic, plant-based water binders could improve the shelf life of beef patties, thereby reducing food waste. The objective of the current study was to optimize mustard extract addition for improvement of shelf stability and physical appearance of fresh beef patties. Non-allergenic water binder treatments included mustard extract (0.25%, 1.0%, and 2.0%), potato extract (2%; positive control), rosemary extract (2%; positive control), and no binder (negative control). Six batches of each treatment were made with shoulder clod and chuck roll. Two patties from each batch were analyzed for subjective color, objective color, fluid loss, oxidation, and pH. There was a difference between treatments for subjective color (P = 0.001) and objective color a* (P = 0.002). The 0.25% mustard extract-treated patties displayed less discoloration than patties treated with 2% mustard extract. The negative control patties had the highest amount of fluid loss, and rosemary-treated patties had the least (P = 0.014). The greatest amount of oxidation was seen in negative control patties (P = 0.001). Patties treated with mustard extract at all levels performed similarly to the positive controls at reducing oxidation.

Chilling-related meat quality issues have been observed in the deep portion of the top round due to the increase of average beef carcass size. The current study examines the impact of an alternative fabrication method aimed at alleviating top round quality in heavy weight beef carcasses (n = 11; 510 kg average weight). Prior to rigor, the knuckle subprimal was partially fabricated to expose the femur on alternating sides of each carcass (TRT), and each adjacent intact side served as a control (CON). All sides were air chilled (2°C) for 48 h before further fabricating. Temperature loggers placed at approximately 2.54 cm below the top round surface was the superficial (SP) location while loggers for the deep (DP) location were inserted at the midline sagittal center of the round until in contact with the femur bone. Temperature and pH decline were monitored for 48 h. The top rounds were collected, aged under vacuum packaging until 14 d postmortem, and then cut into steaks (2.54 cm). Each steak was separated into SP and DP portions and subjected to Warner-Bratzler shear force (WBSF), consumer sensory panel, and a 3-d retail display analysis which included lipid oxidation and objective color evaluation. The TRT accelerated the rate of temperature decline at the DP location (P < 0.001) and increased the pH decline rate at the SP location (P = 0.029). Retail day and location were more impactful than TRT on objective color traits. SP steaks were more tender (P = 0.001) than DP steaks. Consumer taste panel indicated TRT improved overall acceptability (P = 0.042) and flavor (P = 0.035) of top round steaks regardless of locations. TRT accelerated top round DP chilling rate and elevated steak palatability attributes. Findings of the present study report an improvement of top round steaks due to the innovative fabrication treatment.

Finger steaks, an Idaho culinary tradition, are historically made with beef loin cuts which command a higher value than other beef primals. The primary objective of the current study was to evaluate tenderness and sensory characteristics of beef finger steaks made from the loin and lower valued cuts from the chuck, sirloin, and round. Beef cuts conforming to the Institutional Meat Purchasing Specifications (IMPS) included strip loins (IMPS #180), top rounds (IMPS #169A), clod hearts (IMPS #114E), and top sirloins (IMPS #184B) from USDA Choice carcasses (n = 12) that were aged for 21 d. Following the aging period, all subprimals were fabricated into strips (1.27 cm × 1.27 cm × 7.62 cm), breaded and fried. Warner-Bratzler shear force (WBSF) was conducted on each treatment to assess objective tenderness. Consumer sensory panelists (n = 120) and trained sensory panelists (n = 7) assessed each muscle based on the following traits: appearance, flavor, and tenderness. In addition, the consumer sensory panel assessed overall product acceptability. Objective tenderness differed (P < 0.01) between treatments with strip loin and top sirloin being the most tender. Consumer sensory panels indicated a difference in acceptability (P < 0.01), tenderness (P < 0.01), juiciness (P < 0.01), and flavor (P < 0.01) between treatments. The beef strip loin samples had mean consumer acceptability values greater than the other muscles in nearly all palatability categories (P < 0.05). Trained panelists identified the clod heart as having superior juiciness (P = 0.02) while the top round samples were identified as having a lower tenderness value compared to the other treatments (P = 0.01). Based on their mean WBSF and sensory panel results, meat from the chuck and round were determined to be acceptable alternatives to the current traditional higher cost loin cuts commonly used for beef finger steak production.

Improving the shelf life of steaks from beef chuck rolls and bone-in short ribs, items commonly exported, will increase the demand of beef in international markets. Our objectives were to determine the effect of topically applying combinations of acerola cherry powder and rosemary extract on steak color and lipid oxidation of beef chuck roll and bone-in short rib. USDA Choice beef chuck rolls (Institutional Meat Purchase Specifications [IMPS] 116A; N=9) andbone-in short ribs (IMPS 123A; N=18) were aged (0°C) 28 d and cut into 1.0 cm-thick steaks. Steak treatments included the following: untreated control (C) or topically sprayed (2 mL) with an acerola cherry powder solution (0.05% A), rosemary extract solution (0.10% R), or mixture of acerola cherry powder and rosemary extract (M1=0.05% A+0.1% R; M2=0.1% A+0.1% R; M3=0.05% A+0.2% R; M4=0.1% A+0.2% R). On day 0 of retail display, oxygen consumption, metmyoglobin-reducing activity, and lipid oxidation were measured. Lipid oxidation was evaluated again following 4 d of retail display. Chuck roll steak color was scored twice daily, whereas short rib lean and bone marrow color were scored once daily throughout 4 d of retail display. Treating chuck roll steaks with M2, M3, and M4 decreased lipid oxidation compared to C and A (P=0.004). In short rib steaks, lipid oxidation remained constant from day 0 to 4 treated with M4 but increased for all other treatments (P

Muscle profiling improves value and optimization of beef carcasses by expanding knowledge of physical, com-positional, and marketable attributes of single-muscle cuts. Extensive profiling for individual muscle portions of the NAMI #184 beef top sirloin butt remains understudied. The objective was to compare fluid loss, objective color (L*, a*, b*), pH,and objective tenderness of the biceps femoris (BF), gluteus accessorius (GA), gluteus medius, dorsal (GMD), and gluteus medius, ventral (GMV). Beef top sirloin butts (N=70) were collected from carcasses ranging in quality grade (USDA Select and Top Choice), hot carcass weight (light≤362 kg, medium=363 to 453 kg, heavy≥454 kg), and ribeye area (REA; small≤27.8 cm2, medium=27.9 to 40.6 cm2, large≥40.7 cm2). Warner-Bratzler shear force values were the low-est for the BF and GA (P

Variation in cut size and weight of fabricated subprimals is a challenge of increased beef carcass weights. Subsequently, variation in carcass size has resulted in consistency challenges during retail display. The objective of this study was to assess three aging periods of commercially available top rounds from varying carcass weights as it relates to yield and color characteristics. In the current study, 21 industry average weight (AW; 340 to 409 kg; no industry discount) beef carcasses and 21 oversized (OS; exceeding 454 kg; receive a discount) beef carcasses were evaluated. Carcasses were selected at a commercial beef packing plant, where the left and right (paired) top round subprimals of each carcass were procured. Paired top rounds were assigned to a short (8 d), average (23 d), or extended (42 d) postmortem aging period. After wet-aging, subprimals were fabricated into steaks for additional analysis. Steaks were evaluated as whole top round steaks or further fabricated into “ superficial ” and “ deep ” portions at 5.08 cm from the superficial edge of the Semimembranosus and the Adductor muscle. Top rounds and steaks from OS carcasses were larger (P < 0.01) than those from AW carcasses. Quantitative color of the anatomically deep locations of the OS steaks had the greatest mean L* (lightness; P < 0.01), a* (redness; P < 0.01) and b* (yellowness; P < 0.01) values. Extending the aging timeline increased L* (lightness; P < 0.01), decreased a* (redness; P < 0.01), and decreased b* (yellowness; P < 0.01). Alternative top round steak fabrication that separates the deep and superficial anatomical locations could be an effective means of providing more uniform steaks.

Improvements in retail shelf life of exported beef will help with merchandising and increase competitiveness in the worldwide market for United States beef products. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of topically applying acerola cherry powder or rosemary extract from various suppliers on beef bone-in short rib steak and chuck roll steak shelf life. USDA Choice beef bone-in short ribs (IMPS 123A) and chuck rolls (IMPS 116A) were aged (0°C) for 28 d postfabrication. Following aging, 1.02-cm-thick steaks were cut (N = 126) and systematically assigned to a treatment based on steak location within the subprimal. Treatments included untreated control (C), topically sprayed (2 mL) with an acerola cherry powder solution (0.05%) from 1 of 3 suppliers (C1, C2, C3), or topically sprayed (2 mL) with a rosemary extract solution (0.10%) from 1 of 3 suppliers (R1, R2, R3). Half of the steaks were assigned to day 0 lipid oxidation, metmyoglobin-reducing activity (MRA), and oxygen consumption; the remaining steaks were assigned to color evaluation over 4 d of retail display followed by day 4 lipid oxidation and MRA. Short rib steaks treated with antioxidants had a brighter oxygenated lean color than control steaks (P < 0.001). There was an interaction (P = 0.028) between time of retail display and MRA. Short rib steaks treated with C3 and R2 did not change in MRA between day 0 and 4 (P = 0.620, P = 0.428, respectively). Chuck roll steaks treated with C1, C2, C3, R2, and R3 all had a higher, or more desirable, MRA than the control steaks on day 0 (P < 0.001). Applying topical antioxidants improves the shelf-life stability of steaks from beef bone-in short ribs and chuck rolls aged for an extended period.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of timing of electrical stimulation on free calcium concentration, calpain-2 activity, Warner-Bratzler shear force (WBSF), and consumer sensory analysis. Twenty-three beef steers were harvested and stimulated (S) using extra-low voltage or not stimulated (NS), at exsanguination and/or 1 h postmortem, resulting in 4 different stimulation treatments: NS-NS, NS-S, S-NS, or S-S. Samples were removed from the longissimus lumborum (LL) and semimembranosus (SM) for free calcium and calpain-2 analysis on days 1, 4, and 14 postmortem. WBSF and sensory analysis steaks were removed on day 4 and frozen (4 d) or aged to 14 d postmortem. Data were analyzed using the mixed model or generalized linear mixed model procedure of SAS (SAS Institute, Inc., Cary, NC), with significance determined at P < 0.05. There was a tendency for an aging-period-by-stimulation-treatment interaction for LL free calcium concentration (P = 0.05), and there was a significant difference between aging periods (P < 0.01). No difference was observed in free calcium concentration in the SM between stimulation treatments (P = 0.44); aging, however, significantly increased SM free calcium concentration (P < 0.01). Stimulation did not impact native calpain-2 activity in the LL (P = 0.71) or SM (P = 0.89). Stimulation treatment did not improve tenderness values for WBSF analysis for the LL (P = 0.69) or SM (P = 0.61) or consumer sensory analysis in the LL (P = 0.56) or SM (P = 0.36). A longer aging period tended to increase calpain-2 activity in the SM (P = 0.08), improve WBSF in the LL (P = 0.09), and significantly improve consumer tenderness scores in the SM (P < 0.01). In conclusion, the timing of electrical stimulation utilized in the current study tended to influence free calcium concentration in the LL but did not influence calpain-2 activity or beef tenderness. Aging, however, improved tenderness.

Genetic panel use as a selection tool has grown in popularity in the beef industry. The objective of the study was to determine whether beef cattle genetically selected for tenderness generated a tender product. Igenity® (IT) panel results were provided by a cattle producer for 52 steers, which were harvested at a commercial harvest facility. Boneless strip loins (Institutional Meat Purchase Specifications #180; United States Department of Agriculture [USDA] Choice, n = 32; USDA Prime n = 20) were collected from the left side of each carcass and transported to the University of Idaho Meat Science Laboratory. Four steaks were cut from each subprimal and assigned to aging periods of 7, 14, and 21 d for Warner-Bratzler Shear Force (WBSF) analysis or 21 d for consumer sensory analysis. Carcasses were assigned to tenderness groups based on their IT tenderness indexes (Low IT, 3 – 6, n = 30; High IT, 7 – 10, n = 22). Data were analyzed using the mixed model procedure of SAS version 9.4 (SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC). An interaction was observed between tenderness group and USDA quality grade (P = 0.015) when analyzing WBSF. All of the cattle had less than 4.14 kg of WBSF; however, USDA Prime steers that were in the High IT tenderness group produced more tender steaks than High IT USDA Choice, Low IT USDA Prime, and Low IT USDA Choice steers. Consumers were not able to detect tenderness differences between IT tenderness groups (P = 0.11) or USDA quality grades (P = 0.11), but they found USDA Prime steaks to be more acceptable (P = 0.01), juicier (P = 0.01), and more flavorful (P = 0.02) than USDA Choice steaks. In conclusion, regardless of tenderness group, USDA Prime steaks were preferred by consumers over USDA Choice steaks in terms of flavor, juiciness, and acceptability.