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This study investigated the effect of superchilling (−30 °C until the core temperature achieved −3 °C, then stored at −1 °C until 24 h, SC) on the tenderness of hot boned beef M. longissimus lumborum (LL), with very fast chilling (−30 °C until the core temperature achieved 0 °C, then stored at −1 °C until 24 h, VFC) and conventional chilling (0– 4 °C for 24 h, CC) as the controls. The lowest initial shear force values were obtained in SC samples compared to those from the VFC and CC treatments (P < 0.05). Clear freezing damage of muscle fibers and more myofibril fragmentation were found in SC samples compared with the other samples early post-mortem. Moreover, SC samples showed the highest level of inosine 5-monophosphate at 3 h post-mortem (P < 0.05). A reduced glycolysis rate (as evidenced by lactate content) was also found in SC treated samples suggesting little contribution of glycolysis on the tenderization of SC. • Superchilling (SC) can improve beef tenderness. • SC caused greater desmin and troponin-T degradation at 7 and 14 days of ageing. • SC caused obvious freezing damage of muscle fibers and more myofibril fragmentation. • The higher level of IMP in SC treatment may weaken the actin-myosin bridge. • SC did not affect the levels of glycolysis enzymes but reduced the glycolysis rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The quality, colour, and shelf-life of wet aged grass and grain-fed beef were compared. Striploins (n = 24) were each divided into 6 portions and were assigned to different ageing periods (0, 3, 5, 8, 11, or 14 weeks). Analysis demonstrated that declines in shear force and particle size occurred within the first 3 weeks of ageing. Extended ageing resulted in increases in beef purge and pH; and decreases in total moisture, drip, and cooking loss. The initial grass-fed beef drip (3.1%) and particle sizes (201.0 μm) were higher than for grain-fed beef (1.8% and 145.2 μm, respectively). Total viable counts were > 7 cfu/g after 5 weeks of ageing. Total volatile basic nitrogen was < 15 mg/100 g, even after 14 weeks of ageing. Product line by ageing period interactions affected vitamin E and colour parameters. In conclusion, wet aged beef maintains 'acceptable' microbial loads for 5–8 weeks, irrespective of product line and without any deterioration in its quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the effect of superchilling (−30 °C until the core temperature achieved −3 °C, and − 1 °C until 24 h, SC) on shelf-life and bacterial community dynamics of beef loins, with a typical very fast chilling (−30 °C until the core temperature achieved 0 °C, and − 1 °C until 24 h, VFC) and conventional chilling (0– 4 °C for 24 h, CC) as controls. The super-chilled storage (−1 °C) was adopted after each chilling procedure, and physicochemical traits and microbiological quality were evaluated during a long-term storage. No remarkable adverse impact on meat color and lipid oxidation were observed in SC treatment. The bacterial composition results showed that Carnobacterium spp. were the main bacteria in SC treatment in the late storage period (63– 84 days). The loss of Lactobacillus spp., due to the "ultra-low temperature" during the superchilling, might be the reason that the SC did not result in a longer shelf-life compared with CC samples. • The SC (−30 °C until the core temperature reached −3 °C within 5 h) was applied on the beef loins. • The effect of SC and the following superchilled storage on the shelf life of beef loins was studied. • SC was more superior in decreasing the initial bacterial load than VFC treatment. • The shelf-life of SC samples was longer than VFC samples. • The loss of Lactobacillus spp. in SC samples might cause the similar shelf-life of SC and CC samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon dioxide (CO 2) plays an important bacteriostatic role in high-oxygen modified atmosphere packaging (HiOx-MAP). This study aimed to explore the influence of CO 2 on the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) profile in HiOx-MAP beef steaks and assess the changes in VOCs associated with microbiota dynamics during 20-days of chilled storage. Compared to control MAP (CMAP: 50% O 2 /50% N 2), CO 2 -enriched MAP (TMAP: 50% O 2 /40% CO 2 /10% N 2) rendered steaks with desirable appearance and odor freshness during storage through inhibiting bacterial growth and reducing the accumulation of acetoin, 2-ethyl-1-hexanol, 1,3-butanediol, diacetyl and 2-heptanone (P < 0.05). 1-Octen-3-ol and 2-ethyl-1-hexanol were main VOCs in TMAP steaks and were positively related to Brochothrix thermosphacta levels. Acetoin and 2-ethyl-1-hexanol could be used as potential spoilage indicators in CMAP steaks, which were positively related to B. thermosphacta and Pseudomonas levels. Overall, the desirable odor freshness of TMAP steaks was mainly attributed to the CO 2 -inhibitory effect on the off-odor VOCs production correlated with B. thermosphacta , Pseudomonas and Serratia growth. • The inhibitory effects of CO 2 on beef spoilage in HiOx-MAP were studied. • CO 2 restricted microbiota growth and VOCs associated with off-odors. • 1-Octen-3-ol and 2-ethyl-1-hexanol were abundant VOCs in CO 2 enriched HiOx-MAP. • Acetoin and 2-ethyl-1-hexanol were the potential spoilage markers in non-CO 2 MAP. • CO 2 reduced VOCs associated with Brochothrix thermosphacta , Pseudomonas and Serratia growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pasture contains a lot of terpenes, able to pass throughout oral assumption and inhalation into meat. The aim of this paper was to verify if limonene accumulates in meat after oral or respiratory exposure and to assess its effects on animal oxidative status and meat quality. Thirty-six goat kids were involved and assigned for 1 week to three treatment groups: control group (CG); an oral group (OG), where limonene was administered directly into the mouth (drenched); and a respiratory group (RG), in which limonene was administered via inhalation. The meat limonene concentration for the OG was the highest (P < 0.01), although RG showed the highest rate of transfer (P < 0.001). Limonene gives the possibility to delay lipid oxidative processes, reducing discoloration and rancidity in meat. However, the respiration route seems to be able to guarantee a greater limonene transfer into meat compared to the oral one. • Volatile substances from feed and pasture can be found in food from ruminants. • Terpenes, as limonene, are volatile substances with antioxidant activity. • Limonene can be taken both through the oral and respiratory routes. • limonene reduces meat rancidity processes and improve the oxidative state. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the aim to define an objective threshold for consumer satisfaction, this study investigated the relationship between lamb particle size data and consumer scores for tenderness, juiciness, flavour and overall liking (sensorial properties). Data were sourced from the longissimus lumborum muscles of 273 Australian Merino lambs, these being aged for 5-d and then analysed for particle size and sensorial properties – the latter using untrained consumer sensory panels. Pearson's correlation and principal component analyses identified no significant relationship between particle size and consumer sensory scores. Linear regression models found the sensorial properties of lamb could not be predicted using particle size, indicating no univariate relationship. Further, a backwards stepwise regression analysis found there to be no multivariate or univariate relationship between the sensorial properties of lamb and its particle size. These findings demonstrate that there is little value in defining a particle size threshold for consumer satisfaction based on the sensorial properties of lamb. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to identify the tenderness and energy metabolism attributes in normal ultimate pH (pH u , 5.4–5.8, NpH u), intermediate pH u (5.8–6.2, IpH u) and high pH u (> 6.2, HpH u) Longissimus lumborum from beef. During 21 days of aging, the IpH u group exhibited a higher Warner-Bratzler shear force, lower activity of μ-calpain, and a higher content of heat shock protein 27 and greater protein oxidation. Metabolomics analysis revealed that 24 differential metabolites were detected during the first 24 h postmortem between pH groups, and these were mainly the products of glycolysis, the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle and oxidative phosphorylation. The relatively higher adenosine triphosphate content in the IpH u group could delay tenderization by being used as key substrate for protein phosphorylation. In addition, the relationship between guanosine triphosphate, diphosphate and monophosphate, and beef tenderness was worthy to be verified in the future study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current research evaluated the combined effect of oxygen concentration (20%, 50% and 80% O 2) and storage temperature (4°C or −1.5°C) on the fresh and internal cooked color of dark-cutting (DC) beef. Steaks were packaged in modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) over a 12-day storage period. Although the metmyoglobin reducing activity (MRA) of DC steaks decreased with increasing O 2 levels, lower oxygen consumption (OC) and deeper oxygen penetration depth (OPD) improved the surface color of 50%O 2 -MAP and 80%O 2 -MAP DC steaks. 80%O 2 -MAP resulted in the highest (P < 0.05) percentage myoglobin denaturation and alleviated the phenomenon of persistent pink (PP) observed in DC beef. Compared with normal chilling, superchilling significantly increased the redness values of DC steaks through inhibition of lipid oxidation and enhancement of MRA, while it had no effects on PP due to the limited OPD. The results suggest that 80%O 2 -MAP combined with superchilling can be used to improve fresh color and minimize PP of DC beef. • 50%O 2 -MAP and 80%O 2 -MAP effectively improved the surface color of DC steaks. • 80%O 2 -MAP relieved the development of persistent pinking (PP) in cooked DC steaks. • Superchilled beef had higher MRA and redness, but lower TBARS than chilled beef. • Superchilling did not improve the PP of DC steaks due to the limited OPD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of aperture size on the assessment of lamb meat colour values (L*, a*, b* and R630/580) was investigated. Two experiments using 2 HunterLab MiniScan colorimeters (large [25 mm] and small [5 mm] apertures) were conducted: 1) coloured tiles were measured and 2) unaged lamb ( n = 65) m. longissimus lumborum (LL) and m. semimembranosus (SM) muscles were measured over 2.5 d under simulated retail display. For Experiment three, 2 different colorimeters were used on lamb ( n = 36) LL aged for 6 weeks before measurement over 4 d on simulated retail display. Coloured tile a* and b* values were unaffected by aperture size, but L* values and the R630/580 ratio were influenced by aperture size. The effect of aperture size on lamb meat colour measurements varied with display time and muscle type. The large aperture size generally provided the highest colorimetric values, and is recommended for measuring lamb meat colour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • The microbiota and quality of HiOx-MAP beef with various CO 2 levels were studied. • Different microbiota dynamics occurred in 50%O 2 /40%CO 2 /10%N 2 and 50%O 2 /50%N 2 MAP. • High CO 2 MAP extended the shelf-life over 20 d and maintained a good color. • Pseudomonas and Brochothrix were the dominant bacteria under both MAP. • P. fragi and P. weihenstephanensis were inhibited by high level of CO 2. The objective of this study was to establish the effect of CO 2 on the bacterial community in beef steaks held under both high-oxygen modified atmosphere packaging (HiOx-MAP) types (CO 2 treated MAP: 50% O 2 /40% CO 2 /10% N 2 ; control MAP: 50% O 2 /50% N 2). Steaks were stored at 2 °C for 20 days. Gas composition, meat color, pH values, total volatile basic nitrogen values, total viable counts (TVC) and microbial community dynamics were monitored. Compared to the control MAP, the high level of CO 2 in the contrast MAP significantly delayed bacterial growth, resulting in a bright red color as well as extending the shelf-life to over 20 days. The microbial diversity decreased with prolonged storage in both MAP types, but it was more complex in high-CO 2 treated MAP steaks. When TVC values approached the shelf-life threshold for the control MAP, Pseudomonas and Brochothrix were the predominant bacteria, while Pseudomonas and Serratia under the CO 2 containing MAP were at a lower abundance than under the control MAP. The dominant Pseudomonas species causing spoilage in the control MAP steaks was P. fragi , and this species was inhibited significantly by CO 2 , followed by P. weihenstephanensis. Inversely, P. versuta instead of P. fragi became the dominant Pseudomonas species under the CO 2 treated MAP. Overall, the application of CO 2 in HiOx-MAP influenced microbiota succession, which played an important role in retaining beef quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Two plant enzyme extracts from kiwifruit and asparagus were evaluated for their ability to hydrolyse commercially available substrates and proteins present in both beef connective tissue and topside myofibrillar extracts. The results show significant differences in protease activity depending on the assay used. Protease assays with connective tissue and meat myofibrillar extracts provide a more realistic evaluation of the potential of the enzymes for application in meat tenderization. Overall, the kiwifruit protease extract was found to be more effective at hydrolysing myofibrillar and collagen proteins than the asparagus protease extract. The two protease extracts appeared to target meat myofibrillar and collagen proteins differently, suggesting the potential of a synergistic effect of these proteases in improving the tenderness of specific cuts of meat, based on their intrinsic protein composition. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Four commercially available plant preparations containing respectively papain, bromelain, actinidin and zingibain were evaluated for their ability to hydrolyse proteins present in both beef connective tissue and topside myofibril extracts. The results show significant differences in protease activity depending on the assay used and that protease assays with connective tissue and meat myofibril extracts provide a realistic evaluation of the potential of the enzymes for application in meat tenderisation. The actinidin protease preparation was found to be most effective at hydrolysing beef myofibril proteins and the zingibain protease preparation most effective at hydrolysing connective tissue proteins. This indicates the potential of these proteases for targeting specific tenderising applications, in contrast to trying to achieve control of tenderisation with the more active papain and bromelain proteases. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The present study investigated the impact of heat stress and genetics on lamb growth performance and meat quality. Forty-eight Dorper and 2nd cross [Poll Dorset × (Border Leicester × Merino)] lambs (38‐–42 kg; 4–5 months old) were allocated to either thermoneutral [TN; 18–21 °C, 45–55% relative humidity (RH)], or heat stress (HS; 28 °C–38 °C, 40–60% RH) conditions in a 2 × 2 factorial design for 2 weeks. Compared with 2nd cross, Dorper lambs had a lower respiration rate (RR) and rectal temperature (RT), and exhibited less decline in body weight under HS. 2nd cross lambs showed a higher body weight gain than Dorpers under TN conditions. HS increased a * and chroma of the Longissimus thoracis et lumborum (LTL) from 2nd cross lambs over 10 days of display, but had no impact on Dorper LTL. In conclusion, Dorpers showed higher heat tolerance compared with 2nd cross lambs during the 2 weeks HS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study compared the effect of a novel perennial wheat forage and a conventional annual wheat forage, fed to lambs with or without lucerne, on the quality and mineral profile of the longissimus lumborum and semimembranosus muscles. This involved 48 Poll Dorset × Merino ewe lambs, 12 per treatment, managed for 28 days within individual pens. Consumer sensory panel scores showed 'good eating quality' for all samples irrespective of diet, a conclusion supported by the shear force, cooking loss, particle size, and intramuscular fat results. Drip loss was affected by a significant interaction between diet and muscle. The ultimate pH of meat from lambs fed annual wheat was highest. Comparable colour stability and purge results suggested that diet did not impact on lamb retail-potential. Sodium, sulphur and zinc concentrations were higher in the meat from lambs fed annual wheat, compared to perennial wheat. Overall, these outcomes support the use of perennial wheat as a forage for lamb production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Beef longissimus lumborum muscles (24) were each portioned into 6 steaks, and these were held at ~0.5 °C for up to 14 weeks. Total volatile basic nitrogen (TVB-N) data was compared against other measures of quality and freshness: total viable microbial count (TVC), ultimate pH, drip loss, purge, moisture content, cook loss, shear force, particle size, vitamin E, intramuscular fat content (IMF) and colour parameters. There was an association between TVB-N and colour parameters; and between TVB-N and several parameters for microbial load, tenderness and moisture. IMF and vitamin E were not correlated to TVB-N. TVB-N of 5.1 mg/100 g (95% confidence intervals: 4.6–5.5 mg/100 g) was estimated as equivalent to a TVC of log 7 cfu/g. When beef samples were categorised as either spoilt or fresh using this TVC recommendation, TVB-N was correct in 77.9% of its assignments. Additional investigation is necessary to confirm this result against a larger sample population with a broader range of TVB-N values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given the paucity of lamb carcase grading tools, there is a distinct need for the development of rapid, non-destructive grading tools for Australian lamb carcases, particularly fat content given its importance to meat and eating quality. The aim of the current study was to determine the potential for Near Infrared (NIR) spectroscopy to predict IMF using Partial Least Squares (PLS) and machine learning analysis methods. As such, 299 lamb loins were measured using a NIR fibre optic device, a sample was excised for Soxhlet determination of IMF content and prediction models were created using either PLS or machine learning analyses methods. IMF prediction model outcomes were similar between analysis methods with an R 2 = 0.6 and RMSE = 0.84 and R 2 = 0.65 and RMSE = 0.72, respectively. This study highlighted that spectra from one slaughter varied greatly from the two succeeding slaughters and wavelengths selected between studies are not consistent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Meat from cull cows is traditionally sold in Australia for mincemeat, but this study examined whether there is potential to add value by identifying meat of higher quality from older cattle. Dentition and ossification score were recorded for 173 Angus cattle of known age, ranging from 26 months to 12.6 years. Longissimus and semitendinosus muscles were sampled to assess the effect of chronological age on shear force and connective tissue. Age explained variation in shear force of the semitendinosus better than in the longissimus muscle, but had little effect on shear force values per se. At 2 days postmortem, 18% of the longissimus muscles were classified as tender reaching 65% as ageing extended to 14 days. Soluble collagen was a better predictor of age than total collagen. This study shows that the current practice of routinely selling meat from culled cows as mincemeat overlooks a valuable opportunity to grade and sell a significant proportion at higher price as prime cuts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study compared longissimus lumborum (LL) and semitendinosus (ST) muscles, in 48 lamb carcasses, to determine their pH decline parameters and achievement of ideal pH criteria (hitting the window). These include the pH at temperature 18 °C (pH@18) and temperature at pH 6 (temp@pH6). No practical difference were found between muscles for pH@18 or the temp@pH6, although there were differences between the experimental carcasses evaluated. Indeed, for all but three carcasses, there were insignificant differences between the LL and ST in terms of their pH@18. This outcome suggests that the lower value and more accessible ST muscle can be measured to determine lamb carcass pH decline parameters, instead of the LL. Because of the scale of this study, additional investigation is advised prior to any adoption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective was to evaluate the effect of packaging conditions on bacteriological and biochemical changes in beef steaks classified here, as normal ultimate pH (pHu; 5.40–5.79), intermediate pHu (5.80–6.09) or high pHu (≥ 6.10). Steaks were packaged in vacuum packaging (VP) and modified atmosphere packaging with high oxygen (HiO 2 -MAP) or carbon monoxide (CO-MAP). Headspace, bacterial counts, total volatile basic nitrogen, pH, purge loss, surface color, lipid oxidation, and sensory attributes were monitored over a 14-day storage period at 2 °C. HiO 2 -MAP and CO-MAP of high pHu steaks resulted in a bright red color even when observed to be spoilt. Reduced purge loss and lipid oxidation, as well as increased sensory acceptability were observed for steaks with elevated pHu. Higher pHu was also accompanied by an acceleration of microbial proliferation. Of all packaging types investigated, CO-MAP exerted the best preservation, regardless of pHu and based on its antibacterial and antioxidant properties. • CO-MAP had the best preservation due to its antibacterial and antioxidant effect. • The bright red color achieved with CO-MAP and HiO 2 -MAP could mask spoilt DC beef. • DC beef showed low lipid oxidation, purge loss and shear force even under HiO 2 -MAP. • Tenderness, juiciness, and overall liking scores increased as pHu elevated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • The quality traits of VSP beef were evaluated after 3% lactic acid spray before packaging (LLA). • LLA samples exhibited the lowest TVBN and TVC values during the storage of 32 days. • LLA showed the best antibacterial potential without any deleterious effects on the VSP chilled beef. • This is attributed to the reduction of Proteobacteria and B. thermosphacta of LLA beef steaks. A long shelf life for fresh meat products is very important both to processors, retailers and consumers. In this work, the effect of repeat acid spraying on the shelf life of vacuum skin-packaged (VSP) chilled beef, as well as the quality and microbial community dynamics was evaluated. Carcasses were sprayed with 300 ppm peroxyacetic acid (PA) or 3% lactic acid (LA) three times during the chilling process, or one more time of LA spray before packaging (LLA). Quality, sensory attributes and microbial load of VSP beef during 32 days of storage at 4 °C were evaluated. The results showed that quality and sensory scores decreased over time for all treatments, but LLA treated samples were still above the rejection threshold at the end of the storage period. Moreover, the total volatile basic nitrogen value and the total viable counts were 15.0 mg/100 g and 7.2 log CFU/g for the control group, while acid treated groups remained below these two values until the end of the storage period. In particular LLA treated beef steaks exhibited the best preservation potential even at the end of storage. This is attributed to the reduction of Proteobacteria in LLA beef steaks shown by the bacterial diversity analysis via high-throughput sequencing, as well as the lower counts of B. thermosphacta and Enterobacteriaceae during storage. This indicates that LLA treatment has the potential to achieve a shelf life extension of VSP steaks without impacting on quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study defined the pH threshold for dark cutting beef of Asian consumers using a web-based survey and examined their preferences for beef appearance. Ninety individual images of beef steaks with different pH values were randomly selected to be scored by 4322 respondents. Gender, age and beef eating habits of respondents were found to impact on color preferences. With respondent's visual score of 4 set as the acceptance threshold, linear regression analysis between visual scores and beef instrumental colorimetrics, showed that the acceptance thresholds of instrumental color values were L* ≥ 31.4, a* ≥ 16.4, b* ≥ 6.5, chroma ≥17.4 and hue ≥22.5. These corresponded to pH threshold values of 6.11, 6.20, 6.28, 6.25 and 6.29, respectively. This pH benchmark (6.11 to 6.29) for dark cutters is higher than pH thresholds applied in most countries, indicating that Asian consumers prefer darker meat than expected, however, the likely tenderness of beef with pH's at this level merits consideration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of medium voltage electrical stimulation (ES), prior ageing (0–4 °C, 7 days), and their combination on the decrease of shear force in beef during superchilled storage (−4 °C) for 24 weeks was evaluated, in the context of a high shear force obtained under this storage condition. Both ES and prior ageing significantly reduced the initial Warner-Bratzler shear force, and the combination of ES and prior ageing shortened the storage time needed to reach an acceptable shear force of superchilled beef, which is mainly due to increased myofibrillar degradation as indicated by changes in desmin (P < 0.01, r = 0.35). Additionally, ES and prior ageing did not negatively affect lipid oxidation, total volatile basic nitrogen or water loss of superchilled beef. Consequently, ES combined with ageing for 7 days offered an effective approach for decreasing shear force and ensuring good quality superchilled beef. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the last two decades, proteomics have been employed to decipher the underlying factors contributing to variation in the quality of muscle foods, including beef tenderness. One such approach is the application of high-throughput protein analytical platforms in the identification of meat quality biomarkers. To broaden our understanding about the biological mechanisms underpinning meat tenderization across a large number of studies, an integromics study was performed to review the current status of protein biomarker discovery targeting beef tenderness. This meta-analysis is the first to gather and propose a comprehensive list of 124 putative protein biomarkers derived from 28 independent proteomics-based experiments, from which 33 robust candidates were identified worthy of evaluation using targeted or untargeted data-independent acquisition proteomic methods. We further provide an overview of the interconnectedness of the main biological pathways impacting tenderness determination after multistep analyses including Gene Ontology annotations, pathway and process enrichment and literature mining, and specifically discuss the major proteins and pathways most often reported in proteomics research. Unlabelled Image • Beef tenderness proteomics studies published during the last decade were gathered and analyzed. • 124 protein biomarkers of beef tenderness were retrieved from 28 independent proteomics experiments. • Protein biomarkers of beef tenderness belong to 6 interconnected biological pathways. • 64 biomarkers were identified with a cut-off ≥2 and 33 robust biomarkers were shortlisted with a cut-off ≥4. • Muscle structure, energy metabolism and cellular responses to stress and oxidative stress are the main pathways underpinning beef tenderness determination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study evaluated the effect of gamma radiation (0, 1.5, 3, 4.5, 6 KGy) and sodium nitrite (0, 50 and 150 mg/kg) on Clostridium sporogenes spores and on the technological and sensorial characteristics of restructured cooked hams. The number of spores recovered reduced (p < 0.05) with increasing doses of radiation but radiation sensitivity (D-values) was reduced from 1.98 kGy in uncured samples to 1.81 and 1.57 kGy in cured ones. Residual nitrite (RNO 2) and pH were not affected (p > 0.05) by irradiation, but RNO 2 was reduced (p < 0.05) with lower nitrite additions. CIE color measures and texture profile were affected only by nitrite levels and all sensory attributes of uncured samples were perceived (p < 0.05) as different from the cured ones. Irradiation improved (p > 0.05) the odor scores of cured samples. Irradiation of cooked hams at 3 kGy can be used to improve the sensory quality and ensure the microbiological safety of cooked hams elaborated with 50 mg/kg of nitrite. • Spores recovered reduced with increasing doses of radiation. • Radiation sensitivity (D-values) was nitrite dependent. • Irradiation did not affect residual nitrite and pH values. • Nitrite levels affect CIE color measures and texture profile. • Uncured samples sensorial attributes were perceived as different from the cured ones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Beef rolls for hot pot are usually stored and transported in a frozen state, and the beef color deteriorates quickly. This paper reports on an investigation into the effect of packaging method, freezing temperature and storage time on instrumental color, pH, myoglobin state, lipid oxidation (TBARS) and total volatile basic nitrogen (TVB-N) of beef rolls. It was shown that the color of beef rolls at −18 °C was better than that at −12 °C overall, and the OxyMb% and pH values were higher, while the MetMb% and TBARS were lower with storage at −18 °C. With the extension of storage time, the instrumental color, OxyMb% and pH values of beef rolls decreased. Correspondingly, the MetMb% and TBARS showed an upward trend. However, the TVB-N of all treatments did not exceed the Chinese standard during 180d of storage. The results of this paper provide a number of recommendations for the storage of frozen beef rolls to extend color-shelf life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Meat contains a range of nutrients in a highly bioavailable form and when meat is excluded from the diet, without being replaced with suitable alternatives, nutrient deficiencies may occur. For this reason, it is very important to extend our knowledge of nutrients in alternative red meats, such as that provided from the South American camelids- llama and alpaca. This review summarises the current information on the nutritional and sensory parameters of llama and alpaca meat and factors affecting quality. South American camelids produce lean carcases, with an uneven fat distribution across the carcase. Llama and alpaca meat quality traits are mostly influenced by animal nutrition, animal age and processing methods. A feeding strategy based on pasture and hay supplement of barley and alfalfa, and processing younger animals (18 months) has improved the fatty acid composition respectively in llama and alpaca meat, whereas meat colour and tenderness are influenced by processing treatments including electrical stimulation, tenderstretching and enzymatic infusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• First study to characterise lamb production from perennial cereal forage. • Lambs feed perennial or annual wheat had similar growth rates and carcass traits. • Addition of lucerne to the cereal diets increased intake of minerals Ca, Mg and Na. • Extra Na from lucerne was insufficient to balance deficiency in either cereal diet. A pen feeding study was conducted using 10 month old Poll Dorset × Merino ewe lambs to test the effect of perennial wheat forage on growth rates and carcass characteristics in comparison to annual wheat forage. Individual lambs (n = 48) were fed one of four diets, namely perennial wheat (PW), annual wheat (W), perennial wheat + lucerne (alfalfa) (PW + L) or annual wheat + lucerne (W + L). Lambs were monitored for 28 days during which daily forage quality, forage mineral content, feed intake and weekly liveweight change were recorded. At the completion of the feeding period all lambs were slaughtered in a commercial abattoir. At 24 h post-slaughter the left hand side longissimus lumborum muscle (LL) was removed and assessed for quality attributes. Feed intake increased over the 28 days with W fed lambs eating a greater amount compared to PW fed lambs. The addition of lucerne to the cereal forage (PW + L and W + L) increased feed intake (P < 0.001) of the lambs. However, there were no independent dietary effects on liveweight, carcass weight, carcass traits, including yield parameters, pH declines or fresh colorimetrics. Both the W and PW diets had potassium (K) concentrations greater than 3%. Sodium (Na) deficiency was greater in the PW diet. This indicated that lambs fed these diets would be exposed to impaired calcium (Ca) metabolism and reduced magnesium (Mg) absorption. The addition of lucerne to both cereal forages increased the intake of Ca and Mg and lowered the tetany index. Preferential selection of lucerne was observed in lambs fed the PW + L diet compared to those fed W + L. However, the Na deficiency was not resolved by the addition of lucerne and the dietary cation-anion difference (DCAD) remained high for all diets. Low Na content and consequential effects of a high K:Na + Mg ratio may have limited the expression of higher growth rates (range 55–110 g per day) from the different diets offered. The high DCAD implies calcium homeostasis would be challenged by all diets. This study establishes the value of perennial wheat as a novel forage source as there were no unfavorable effects on lamb carcass parameters, however the mineral imbalances in the forage would need to be managed in the same way as they are presently managed in grazing systems using dual-purpose annual wheat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• MAP samples obtained higher redness, better sensory scores and lower lipid oxidation. • CO-MAP samples exhibited the lowest TBARS values. • CO 2 -MAP were effectively retarded the spoilage bacteria growth. • Roast duck bacterial dynamics was affected by the gas composition used in packages. • Vibrio spp. was dominant in both 30% CO 2 -MAP and CO-MAP at the end of storage. The purpose of this work was to assess the effect of different packaging methods on the shelf life and bacterial communities of roast duck meat. Samples were packaged under the following five conditions: overwrapped packaging (OWP), 100% N 2 (100% N 2 -MAP), 30% CO 2 /70% N 2 (30% CO 2 -MAP), 50% CO 2 /50% N 2 (50% CO 2 -MAP), and 0.4% CO/30% CO 2 /69.6% N 2 (CO-MAP). Physicochemical and microbiological parameters were monitored during 14 days of chilled storage (0–4 °C). Results showed that MAP samples obtained higher and more stable redness, better sensory scores, and lower lipid oxidation, compared with OWP, in which CO-MAP samples had the lowest TBARS values (0.13–0.22 MDA/kg) during storage. Moreover, 30% CO 2 -MAP, 50% CO 2 -MAP, and CO-MAP effectively retarded the onset of bacterial spoilage and extended shelf life by 7 days compared with 100% N 2 -MAP and OWP treatments. Additionally, bacterial succession was significantly affected by the gas composition used in the packages, especially the dominant biota at the end of storage, which played an important role in the spoilage of roast duck meat under specific packaging. On day 14, Pseudoalteromonas spp., Lactobacillus spp., and Pseudomonas spp. became the most predominate genera in OWP, 100% N 2 -MAP, and 50% CO 2 -MAP, respectively. Notably, Vibrio spp. was dominant in both 30% CO 2 -MAP and CO-MAP, indicating 0.4% CO did not exert a further inhibitory effect on this genus. Additionally, the growth inhibition of Pseudoalteromonas spp., Lactobacillus spp., and Leuconostoc spp. by high CO 2 concentration might be the reason for MAP (CO 2 /N 2) samples having lower levels of TVC. Globally, these results indicate that 30% CO 2 -MAP, 50% CO 2 -MAP, and CO-MAP are promising packaging methods to improve roast duck meat quality and achieve shelf life extension. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Beef ageing (in vacuo) for tenderisation and flavour development may be accelerated by favourable temperature-time combinations (TTCs), however the effect of such manipulations on volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that are generated during cooking, is unknown. We compared VOCs from grilled beef longissimus lumborum muscle samples which had been subjected to different TTCs. The TTCs consisted of combinations of temperatures (~ 3, 5, or 7 °C) and ageing time periods (6, 8, 10 or 12 d); as well as control samples, which were held at 0-2 °C for a total of 14 d. Sensory quality attributes of these same samples were measured by untrained consumer panellists. Generally, it was found that TTCs had negligible effects on grilled beef VOCs and were comparable to controls. Furthermore, many VOCs were significantly related to flavour intensity, flavour liking and overall liking. These findings support the use of TTCs as a viable means to accelerate the rate of beef ageing without compromising quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lamb meat is cooked using different methods which help to impart good taste, flavour and aroma and they also improve the nutritional quality and ensure food safety. However traditional methods also induce some potential health hazards i.e. formation of polyaromatic hydrocarbons, heterocyclic aromatic amines and acrylamides. These harmful compounds are produced through protein aggregation (protein increased with loss of water), lipid degradation (lipid breakdown due to cooking), oxidation (radicals formation due to heat and oxygen combination), and the Maillard reaction (reaction between sugars and amino acids). This review focuses on: 1) the use of modern cooking technologies to reduce the generation of hazardous compounds by a) applying low temperature cooking with minimum contact with the meat; b) faster cooking, with the added benefits of minimum nutritional losses and less energy consumption 2) the adoption of natural plant sources as extracts to: a) inhibit lipid oxidation; b) improve the stability of meat products to limit the generation of hazardous compounds. • Cooking methods influence the physicochemical properties of lamb meat. • Traditional cooking might cause or promote hazardous compounds generation. • Nutritional profile is improved with modern methods with lesser hazards to lamb meat. • The modern technologies can help to make lamb meat safe without quality deterioration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The increased incidence of heat stress in lambs has been reported in many countries, especially warmer parts of the world, compromising lamb welfare, having flow on effects for meat quality traits. While heat stress impacts can be variable depending on the severity and duration, the exposure of lambs to one week of elevated temperature increased the muscle omega-6 fatty acid concentration compared with the thermoneutral group. The one week heat stress is believed to enhance pro-inflammatory actions through induced free radical formation and oxidative stress. Somewhat independently, supplementation of the diet with vitamin E improved the growth rate and reduced oxidative stress. This suggests that under more extreme heat stress conditions, lambs fed in feedlots would benefit from enhanced levels of antioxidants such as vitamin E. The impact of antioxidant supplementation and short-term heat stress on lamb body weight gain, meat nutritional profile and functionality (storage stability of lipids and colour) of lamb meat was investigated. A total of 48 crossbred ((Merino × Border Leicester) × Dorset) lambs (42 ± 2 kg body weight, 7 mo age) were randomly allocated to three dietary treatments (n = 16) by liveweight (LW) that differed in dosage of vitamin E and selenium (Se) in the diet. Vitamin E and Se levels in the control (CON), moderate (MOD) and supranutritional (SUP) dietary treatments were 28, 130 and 228 mg/kg DM as α-tocopherol acetate and 0.16, 0.66 and 1.16 mg Se as SelPlex™/kg DM, respectively. After four weeks of feeding in individual pens, including one week of adaptation, lambs were exposed to two heat treatments. Animals were moved to metabolism cages for one week and subjected to heat treatments: thermoneutral (TN; 18–21 °C and 40–50% relative humidity) and heat stress (HS; 28–40 °C and 30–40% relative humidity) conditions, respectively. Final LW and hot carcass weight were influenced by dietary treatments with higher final live weight (FLW) (p = 0.05; 46.8 vs. 44.4 and 43.8 kg, respectively) and hot carcass weight (HCW) (p = 0.01; 22.5 vs. 21.3 and 21.0 kg, respectively) recorded in lambs fed the SUP as opposed to the CON and MOD diets. Vitamin E concentration in the longissimus lumborum (LL) muscle tended to be higher in lambs fed MOD or SUP diets than the CON group. Lipid oxidation of aged meat at 72 h of simulated retail display was reduced by antioxidant supplementation. Short-term (one week) heat stress treatment significantly increased muscle linoleic acid and total omega-6 concentrations compared with the CON group. The results demonstrate that four-week antioxidant supplementation at the SUP level improved animal productivity by increasing LW and carcass weight and the functionality of meat exhibited by reduced lipid oxidation. An increase in muscle omega-6 fatty acid concentration from short-term heat stress may induce oxidative stress via proinflammatory action. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• HiOx-MAP aggravated microbial-induced meat discoloration compared to CO-MAP. • B. thermosphacta and Pseudomonas dominated in HiOx-MAP, but the latter prevailed. • Pseudomonas enhanced beef discoloration by elevating OCR in HiOx-MAP. • The dominated LAB (Lactobacillus & Lactococcus) in CO-MAP improved beef color. The microbiota influence on meat color stability of chilled beef steaks under two modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) systems was studied: HiOx-MAP (80% O 2 /20% CO 2) and CO-MAP (0.4% CO/30% CO 2 /69.6% N 2). Steaks were stored for up to 20 days at 2 °C. Headspace gas composition and color stability were evaluated. High-throughput sequencing analyses were performed to characterize bacterial community dynamics. For HiOx-MAP steaks, Pseudomonas spp. became the dominant species, and an increased oxygen consumption caused by these bacteria contributed to metmyoglobin (MetMb) formation from day 10. Functional analysis based on 16S rDNA sequencing predicted higher abundance of genes related to amino acid and lipid metabolism in HiOx-MAP bacterial communities compared to CO-MAP bacterial communities, which probably accelerated meat discoloration. Lactic acid bacteria dominated in CO-MAP steaks, in which Lactobacillus spp. and Lactococcus spp. contributed to improve redness and chroma, and reduce MetMb%, respectively. These findings help our understanding of color stability in CO-MAP steaks in comparison to HiOx-MAP steaks as influenced by the microbial community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect on alpaca meat quality from applying medium voltage electrical stimulation (ES) in combination with tenderstretching (TS; pubic symphysis suspended) to whole carcases was investigated, along with the effect of actinidin infusion on alpaca longissimus (LTL) quality. Carcases (n = 36) were allocated to either no ES + achilles hung; or ES + TS. The left- and right-hand side LTL of each carcase was allocated to one of three infusion treatments; no infusion (control), infusion with water or infusion with enzyme. Processing treatments reduced LTL and semimembranosus shear force without negatively impacting colour or oxidation traits. Infusion with enzyme reduced LTL shear force relative to control and water treatments but resulted in reduced consumer acceptance. The use of TS with ES in commercial alpaca processing is supported. There was no advantage to infusing alpaca LTL with actinidin as results indicate a net negative effect on consumer acceptance of this novel meat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Label-free proteomics was applied to understand the color and color stability development of dark cutting beef (DC). The color traits of DC (pH = 6.86) and normal beef (pH = 5.49) were determined during 7 days of display. DC had a lower redness and greater color stability, which was attributed to its higher deoxy-myoglobin content, greater oxygen consumption, as well as higher metmyoglobin reducing activity and lower lipid oxidation. A total of 28 differentially expressed mitochondrial proteins (fold change >1.8) between the two groups were identified, with 21 proteins overexpressed in DC mainly involved in oxidative phosphorylation, generation of reducing equivalent, TCA cycle and chaperones. These enhance the level of mitochondrial respiration, the stability of reducing MetMb and myoglobin and mitochondria function, leading to color characteristics of DC. Moreover, Glutaryl-CoA dehydrogenase was for the first time reported to be significantly associated with color parameters and its direct relationship with meat color is worthy investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A study was undertaken to establish a consumer threshold for the colour of beef rolls used for hot pot cooking in China. This was achieved by using an internet-based online survey, in which Chinese respondents recorded their preferred meat colour from a selection of 12 different images that represented a range of objective colour measures (CIE colorimetrics). The results indicated that, of the 2021 respondents, 97.6% liked to eat hot pot. When colour preference was modelled against objective measures of colour, the a * value was identified as providing the most suitable insight into respondents' preferences for the colour of frozen beef rolls to be used in hot pot cooking. Based on the results an acceptance threshold of a * value ≥16.4 proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To evaluate different methods for the determination of postmortem myofibrillar fragmentation, three protocols were compared: fragmentation index method (FI) after drying the filtrate residue at room temperature for 10 min (FI room) or at 105 °C for 12 h (FI oven); and myofibrillar fragmentation index (MFI) by the absorbance method. Beef Longissimus thoracis steaks (n = 34) were randomized into two treatments (frozen/thawed and unfrozen) and aged for 0, 7, 14 or 21 days. An interaction (P < 0.05) between method and treatment, method and aging and treatment and aging was found. FI room was the best to detect a difference in fragmentation at all aging days. In addition, FI room and FI oven both detected the tenderization process that occurs by freezing while the MFI method did not, yet all three methods were similarly related to tenderness as measured by shear force. It is suggested that FI room is the most effective method (time, cost) to indicate myofibrillar fragmentation, under the conditions imposed herein. • Three protocols were compared to determine the myofibrillar fragmentation. • The choice of the better method implications better results. • The faster and less laborious method (FI room) was most effective than others. • The FI room detected the extent proteolysis at all aging days. • The FI room detected the myofibrillar changes induced by the freezing process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Verification of beef production systems and authentication of origin is becoming increasingly important as consumers base purchase decisions on a greater number of perceived values including the healthiness and environmental impact of products. Previously Raman spectroscopy has been explored as a tool to classify carcases from grass and grain fed cattle. Thus, the aim of the current study was to validate Partial Least Squares Discriminant Analysis (PLS-DA) models created using independent samples from carcases sampled from northern and southern Australian production systems in 2019, 2020 and 2021. Validation of the robustness of discrimination models was undertaken using spectral measures of fat from 585 carcases which were measured in 2022 using a Raman handheld device with a sample excised for fatty acid analysis. PLS-DA models were constructed and then employed to classify samples as either grass or grain fed in a two-class model. Overall, predictions were high with accuracies of up to 95.7% however, variation in the predictive ability was noted with models created for southern cattle yielding an accuracy of 73.2%. While some variation in fatty acids and therefore models can be attributed to differences in genetics, management and diet, the impact of duration of feeding is currently unknown and thus further work is warranted., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest Funding was achieved by Stephanie Fowler with the assistance of David Hopkins. Stephanie Fowler designed the experiment, complied the first draft, was responsible for project administrated and collected the data along with Matthew Kerr. Data was analysed by Leigh Schmidtke. Edits were made by all authors and the final manuscript was prepared by Stephanie Fowler. The authors declare no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Medium voltage electrical stimulation and wet ageing periods effects on the carcasses and meat quality of Australian rangeland goats were investigated. 64 rangeland goats were slaughtered as 2 equal consignments, wherein half were exposed to post-dressing electrical stimulation (300 V, 500 ms pulse width, 45 s) and half were not (control). Carcass and pH decline parameters and glycogen concentration were recorded. At 24 h post-mortem, fresh colour was measured and longissimus lumborum muscles (LL) removed. Within carcass, paired LL were halved and allocated to each of 4 ageing periods (1, 2, 4, or 21 d). There were no significant effects from electric stimulation on LL pH at 18 °C, LL temperature at pH 6, LL pH at 24 h post-mortem, semitendinosus pH at 24 h post-mortem, and LL glycogen concentration. There were no significant interactions between stimulation and ageing period on cooking loss, particle size, purge loss, sarcomere length, shear force, and ultimate pH. Independent to stimulation, shear force, particle size, and cooking values declined as ageing period increased. Purge loss was highest after 21 d of ageing. Colour stability was unaffected by ageing, although all CIE colour coordinates varied across the 74 h total retail display period. There were negative linear relationships found between LL glycogen concentrations and LL temperature at pH 6, ultimate pH, and sarcomere length. These findings suggest there to be little benefit to post-dressing electrical stimulation of rangeland goat carcasses, when applied independent to or in combination with ageing., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

This study compared carcasses as well as the quality and mineral concentration of meat from lambs extensively grazing perennial wheat with clover (PW + C), serradella (PW + S), lucerne (PW + L), or a mineral salt supplement (PW + Min). A split-plot design was used, wherein 3 crossbred ewe lambs (n = 72 in total) (sub-plots) grazed each of 4 forage types (plots), that were replicated across 6 locations (blocks). The feeding study concluded after 96 d, when all the lambs were slaughtered. The left longissimus lumborum muscles (LL) were collected and wet aged for either 5 or 56 d post-mortem. Lambs grazing PW + Min were found to produce carcasses with lower dressing percentage values to those grazing the other forage types (P = 0.037). The LL of lambs grazing PW + L had the lowest crude protein values (P = 0.015). Forage type by ageing period interactions did not affect meat quality. The 56 d ageing period resulted in higher purge loss (P < 0.001) and TVB-N values (P < 0.001) and a decline in shear force (P < 0.001) compared to the 5 d ageing period. The other carcass and meat quality parameters were not affected by forage type; including hot carcass weight, pH decline parameters, eye muscle area, cooking loss, intramuscular fat, sarcomere length, colour stability, and concentrations of calcium, iron, magnesium, sodium, and zinc in the LL. These findings confirm that perennial cereal production systems, that include legume forages with contrasting protein, energy, and micronutrient profiles, can deliver comparable lamb carcasses and meat quality., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Crown Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Despite the importance of intramuscular fat (IMF) to eating quality, as yet no methodology has been widely adopted by the whole of industry in Australia to measure it routinely. Thus, a study was conducted to investigate the potential for a Near Infra-Red (NIR) device to predict the IMF content of the loin from spectra collected on the topside which is externally located on a hanging carcase and therefore easily accessible. To this end, NIR spectra were collected from topsides (m. semimembranosus) of 258 lamb carcases over 5 data collections and a sample of muscle was collected from the loin and the topside for IMF determination using a wet chemistry method. Subsequent Partial Least Square (PLS) models suggested the ability to predict the absolute IMF content of loins was poor (R 2  = 0.28, RMSE = 1.26), yet there was a moderate ability to predict the IMF content of the topside (R 2  = 0.56, RMSE = 0.82). Partial Least Square Discrimination Analysis (PLS-DA) models to classify cuts based on the IMF eating quality threshold of 4.5% yielded better predictive outcomes with accuracies of 66.7% and 76.7% for loin and topside respectively. However, further research to assess the relationship between the IMF of the loin and topside and reduce the impact of differences in overall absorbance between data collections will improve predictive outcomes., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest Funding was achieved by Suzanne Mortimer and David Hopkins. Stephanie Fowler designed the experiment, collected the data along with those acknowledged in the manuscript, complied the first draft and completed the data analysis with Stephen Morris. Edits were made by all authors and the final manuscript was prepared by Stephanie Fowler., (Crown Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

In order to explore the effect of sub-freezing storage on water holding capacity and tenderness of beef, four treatments were compared in this study: sub-freezing (-7 °C) fast sub-freezing (-38 °C until the core temperature achieved to -7 °C), superchilling (-1 °C) and fast frozen (-38 °C until the core temperature achieved to -18 °C) with the latter two treatments serving as the controls. The differences in muscle fiber structure, water distribution, protein oxidation and cytoskeletal protein degradation were studied. The results demonstrated that compared with other treatments, the fast sub-freezing treatment resulted in less structural damage to the muscle fibers and had better water holding capacity. Both sub-freezing and fast sub-freezing treatments inhibited protein oxidation compared with superchilling, but the former treatment's level of protein oxidation was higher than that in fast sub-freezing treatment during long-term storage (42 weeks). In addition, the structural proteins in the sub-freezing and fast sub-freezing treatments underwent faster degradation during long-term storage and therefore the meat was more tender compared with the fast frozen treatment. The results indicate that the fast sub-freezing treatment can be potentially applied in beef storage., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

This study aimed to develop an appropriate modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) system for displayed beef steaks following long-term superchilled (-1 °C) storage. After superchilled storage for 0, 2, 8, or 16 weeks, beef loins were fabricated into steaks and displayed with 20%, 50%, or 80% O 2 -MAP under chilled conditions. At each storage point, after display for 0, 3, 7, or 10 days, instrumental color, myoglobin redox forms percentage, lipid oxidation, total viable count (TVC), and total volatile basic nitrogen (TVB-N) were evaluated. Meat color stability decreased, with prolonged storage period and display time. When the storage period was within 8 weeks, under all the above MAP conditions, the display time for the beef steaks was up to 10 days. Considering 80% O 2 -MAP promoted lipid oxidation, 50% and 80% O 2 -MAP were not recommended for displaying steaks for more than 10 and 7 days respectively after 16 weeks of storage. However, 20%, 50%, or 80% O 2 -MAP could maintain 3 days of microbial shelf-life according to TVC and TVB-N results. Additionally, after long-term superchilled storage for 16 weeks, the various O 2 concentrations had minimal impact on microbiota succession during the MAP display period. Furthermore, beef steaks packaged under various MAP systems exhibited similar microbial compositions, with the dominant bacteria alternating between Lactobacillus and Carnobacterium. This study provided practical guidance for improving beef color stability after long-term superchilled storage., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

To explore the underlying mechanisms by which superchilling (SC, -3 °C within 5 h of slaughter) improves beef tenderness, an untargeted metabolomics strategy was employed. M. Longissimus lumborum (LL) muscles from twelve beef carcasses were assigned to either SC or very fast chilling (VFC, 0 °C within 5 h of slaughter) treatments, with conventional chilling (CC, 0 ∼ 4 °C until 24 h post-mortem) serving as the control (6 per group). Biochemical properties and metabolites were investigated during the early post-mortem period. The results showed that the degradation of μ-calpain and caspase 3 occurred earlier in SC treated sample, which might be attributed to the accelerated accumulation of free Ca 2+ . The metabolomic profiles of samples from the SC and CC treatments were clearly distinguished based on partial least squares-discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) at each time point. It is noteworthy that more IMP and 4-hydroxyproline were found in the comparison between SC and CC treatments. According to the results of metabolic pathways analysis and the correlation analysis between traits related to tenderness and metabolites with significant differences (SC vs. CC), it can be suggested that the tenderization effect of the SC treatment may be related to the alteration of arginine and proline metabolism, and purine metabolism in the early post-mortem phase., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

This study describes the impact of sous vide cooking at different temperatures and time intervals on the eating quality, specifically tenderness of two muscles, bicep femoris (BF) and semitendinosus (ST) from spent buffalo (Bubalus bubalis). Spent buffalo refers to water buffalo that are no longer considered productive following a sixth lactation cycle. Steaks from each muscle were obtained and cooked at three combinations of time and temperature, namely 55 °C-8H, 65 °C-5H, and 95 °C-45 M, respectively. Warner-Bratzler Shear Force (WBSF), cooking loss, cooking yield, color, water activity (a w ), total water content (TWC), total collagen content (TCC), heat soluble collagen (HSC), myofibrillar fragmentation index (MFI), and sensory evaluation were measured. The collagen solubilization results showed that temperature and time interacted (P ≤ 0.05), reducing the toughness of the muscles. The tenderization achieved through sous vide cooking was mainly attributed to the thermal denaturation of proteins at the typically lower temperatures and extended time used, weakening of connective tissue through collagen solubilization, and water retention. More cooking loss (P ≤ 0.05) was observed at high temperature treatment of 95 °C-45 M. Meat color, TWC, MFI, and overall acceptability exhibited differences among treatments (P ≤ 0.05). An extended heat interval at lower temperatures caused initial denaturation of myofibrillar proteins, then solubilization of connective tissue proteins. Cooking treatment 55 °C-8H (P ≤ 0.05) reduced the WBSF in both muscles; however, the ST appeared more tender than BF., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest It is declared by the authors that this research does not have any conflict of interest with any private or governmental organization., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The current study examined the growth rates, carcase characteristics, meat quality, and consumer sensory evaluation of the longissimus lumborum muscle (striploin) from steers that were supplemented with either canola meal or grain-based pellets. Forty Angus and Hereford × Angus steers received one of these two supplements with ad libitum lucerne hay for 60 d prior to slaughter. Average daily weight gain was not affected by dietary treatment; however, hot standard carcase weight was significantly lower for steers offered canola meal compared with steers on the grain-based pellets. Dietary treatment did not affect the carcase characteristics, meat quality traits, and consumer sensory evaluation, irrespective of ageing periods. Therefore, canola meal can be used as an approved Pasturefed Cattle Assurance System (PCAS) supplement on moderate dry quality forages without negatively affecting carcase and meat quality traits., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

The physicochemical parameters of hot-boned bovine semimembranosus muscles after sous vide cooking were investigated. Hot-boned or wet-aged steaks were collected, and cooked by different cooking methods, including sous vide (57 °C, 11 h, SV), grilling (at 200 °C to the central temperature of 72 °C, GR) or boiling (100 °C, 2 h, BO). The meat color, tenderness, water-holding capacity, degree of oxidation, myoglobin denaturation and sensory quality traits were determined, as well as the changes in the microstructure. Compared to other cooking methods, SV reduced the degree of oxidation and muscle shortening, and significantly improved the water holding capacity (WHC), tenderness, connective tissue content and overall acceptability for both hot-boned and wet-aged steaks. The oxidation and muscle shortening were reduced in hot-boned SV steaks (P < 0.05), and the water-holding capacity and sensory scores for juiciness, connective tissue content and overall acceptability were increased (P < 0.05) compared to the wet-aged steaks. The combination of hot-boning and SV cooking resulted in an acceptable tenderness, better overall sensory acceptability and higher WHC than other combinations of muscle states and cooking methods. Therefore, it is a good choice to cook hot-boned semimembranosus muscles using SV to improve the eating quality, which can eliminate the need for aging, benefiting the beef industry., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

This study investigated the relationship between tenderness and protein phosphorylation levels of normal ultimate pH (pH u , 5.4-5.8, NpH u ), intermediate pH u (5.8-6.2, IpH u ) and high pH u (≥6.2, HpH u ) Longissimus lumborum from beef. During 21 d of ageing, the HpH u group had the lowest Warner-Bratzler shear force (WBSF) values, while the IpH u group showed the highest and even after 21 days of ageing still had high levels. In the late stage of the 24 h post-mortem period the faster degradation rate of troponin T and earlier activation of caspase 9 in the HpH u group were the key reasons for the lower WBSF compared with the NpH u and IpH u groups. The activity of caspase 3 cannot explain the tenderness differences between IpH u and HpH u groups, since their activities did not show any difference. At 24 h post-mortem, 17 common differential phosphorylated peptides were detected among pH u groups, of which nine were associated with pH u and WBSF. The higher phosphorylation level of glycogen synthase may have caused the delay of meat tenderization in the IpH u group., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

This study compared the fatty acid and mineral concentrations of lamb meat that was prepared to different levels of cooking doneness. Ten m. longissimus lumborum were each sectioned into 4 slices that were randomly assigned to be uncooked or grilled to an internal end-point temperature of 60 °C (rare), 71 °C (medium), or 77 °C (well done). It was found that cooking loss increased as the level of cooking doneness increased. The proportion of most major fatty acids were not altered by cooking. However, when adjusted for cooking loss (i.e., mg/135 g serve of lamb as-is equivalent prepared to each level of cooking doneness), the concentration of most major fatty acids, including C16:0, C18:0, C18:1n-9, and many conjugated linoleic acids, were lowered after grilling to any level of cooking doneness and compared to the uncooked samples. The omega-6 to omega-3 ratio was lowest for the uncooked samples and highest for those prepared to a well done level of cooking doneness. Conversely, the concentration of health claimable omega-3 fatty acids in the uncooked meat was retained upon cooking and across all the different internal endpoint temperatures. Calcium, magnesium, phosphorous, potassium, and sodium were reduced with preparation of lamb meat to any level of cooking doneness, compared with uncooked meat. Zinc, iron, and selenium were retained within the cooked samples. These findings show that consumer preference for a level of cooking doneness will have only minor effects on the concentration of minerals and fatty acids in lamb meat., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (Crown Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)