Evaluation of additional cooking procedures to achieve lethality microbiological performance standards for large, intact meat products.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA-FSIS) has a specific lethality performance standard for ready-to-eat products. To assist meat processing establishments in meeting the performance standard, USDA-FSIS developed Appendix A, which provides guidelines for cooking temperatures, times, and relative humidity. This project determined whether the USDA-FSIS performance standards for lethality were met when using parameters other than those identified in Appendix A to cook large hams and beef inside rounds. The effects of alternative lethality parameters on the reduction of Salmonella Typhimurium and coliforms and on the toxin production of Staphylococcus aureus were evaluated. Large (9- to 12-kg) cured bone-in hams (n = 80) and large (8- to 13-kg) uncured beef inside rounds (n = 80) were used in this study. The products were subjected to 1 of 10 treatments defined by combinations of final internal product temperatures (48.9, 54.4, 60.0, 65.6, or 71.1°C) and batch oven relative humidities (50 or 90 % ). For all treatments, at least a 6.5-log reduction in Salmonella Typhimurium was achieved. The coliform counts were also substantially reduced for both hams and rounds. Across all treatments for both products, S. aureus toxin production was not detected. The relative humidity did not alter the lethality effectiveness for any of the treatments. The final internal temperatures and relative humidity combinations used in this project achieved the lethality performance standard established by USDA-FSIS for fully cooked, ready-to-eat products.

Inclusion of blended lipid solutions as functional ingredients to alter the fatty acid profile of beef patties.

UNLABELLED: Beef patties formulated to contain beef fat, plant oil, and a rosemary extract to increase unsaturated fatty acid content and maintain desirable sensory attributes were compared to control beef patties formulated without plant oils. Treatment patties were formulated to a fat content of 10% or 20% by combining beef trimmings (6% fat) with 4% or 14% addition of a lipid blend. Blends contained 57% beef tallow, 0.3% rosemary extract, and 43% of high oleic safflower oil (SO), olive oil (OO), or corn oil (CO). Lipid oxidation, as measured by TBA values, of treatment patties were similar to control patties after 0 and 3 d of refrigerated (2 °C) storage and up to 56 d of frozen (-10 °C) storage. Cooked lipid blend patties having a fat content of 10% or 20% were similar to or higher than control patties for juiciness and were no different for other sensory attributes evaluated. At fat levels of 10% or 20%, oleic acid (18: 1) in cooked SO patties (46.1% and 50.3%, respectively) and OO patties (43.8% and 48.1%, respectively) was higher than the control (37.3% and 37.6%, respectively). Unsaturated to saturated fatty acid ratios at the 10% or 20% fat levels were higher in SO (1.37 and 1.60, respectively) and CO (1.40 and 1.48, respectively) patties than the control (0.97 and 0.94, respectively). Beef patties manufactured with varying lipid blends increased unsaturated fatty acid content and were similar in physical characteristics and sensory attributes of all beef patties formulated without lipid blends. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: The development of healthier beef products that will be more appealing to consumers has long been an industry goal. The authors believe that lipid blends such as the one used in this study could be used to create such products, not only in the form of beef patties, but any number of processed meat products. Because the materials and equipment used to create the lipid blends in this study are widely available, their incorporation into meat products would represent a small capital investment. This is an important factor in bringing a reasonably priced, healthier product to consumers.

Identifying muscle and processing combinations suitable for use as beef for fajitas.

Four different treatments-control, papain, blade tenderization, and papain+blade tenderization-were applied to sixty USDA Choice M. diaphragma pars costalis, M. transversus abdominis, M. obliquus abdominis internus, M. rhomboideus, M. trapezius, M. latissimus, and M. serratus ventralis. Trained (n=6) and consumer (n=81) panelists scored papain samples higher for most sensory traits. Treatment tended not to affect the palatability scores of the M. diaphragma pars costalis and M. serratus ventralis, which tended to receive higher scores in comparison to the other muscles. Consumers were willing to purchase the M. latissimus and M. serratus ventralis treated with papain+blade tenderization and papain, respectively, and these muscles performed well enough to be considered as alternatives in the beef fajita market.

In-home consumer evaluations of individual muscles from beef rounds subjected to tenderization treatments.

In-home evaluations of the M. vastus lateralis, M. rectus femoris, M. semimembranosus, and M. adductor (n=266) muscles that were either blade tenderized, enhanced with a salt and phosphate solution, or served as a control (no tenderization or enhancement treatment) were conducted. Consumers (n=261) cooked these steaks and were asked to document cooking method and degree of doneness, and provide palatability ratings for each steak. Enhancing round muscles with a salt and phosphate solution improved most palatability traits compared to blade tenderized or control steaks. For M. semimembranosus and M. vastus lateralis, the enhanced steaks received higher (P<0.05) ratings for all palatability traits. Cooking method and degree of doneness had little influence on consumer palatability ratings, and where differences occurred, they were muscle specific. This may allow limited recommendations for the most appropriate cooking method and degree of doneness for specific beef round muscles.

Evaluation of low-fat sausage containing desinewed lamb and konjac gel.

Ground (GR) or desinewed (DS) lamb trimmings were combined with a konjac flour (KF) gel (0%, 10% or 20%) to produce a low-fat (8%) cured sausage. Physiochemical, sensory and shelf-life analyses were performed to determine the efficacy of the fat mimetic. Desinewing reduced collagen content (2.3 mg/g tissue) and cook yield (0.6%) when compared to GR trimmings. Grinding increased aerobic plate counts (APCs) ∼0.4log(10)/cm(2) more than DS, but APCs were not affected by inclusion of KF. Sausages with 20% KF lowered cook yield ∼1% and slightly reduced sensory panel and texture profile analysis texture values. KF gel incorporated at 10% had similar properties to a control low-fat desinewed lamb sausage, while KF at 20% could reduce "toughening" in low-fat sausage products. Use of konjac gel as a fat mimetic could reduce total caloric energy by replacing a portion of the meat in a sausage formulation.

Evaluation of Duroc- vs. Pietrain-sired pigs for carcass and meat quality measures.

Crossbred progeny sired by either Duroc or Pietrain boars, normal for the ryanodine receptor gene, were evaluated for carcass composition and meat quality. Boars from each breed were mated to Yorkshire or F1 Yorkshire-Landrace females. A total of 162 off-spring was evaluated for carcass and meat quality traits at a common age (approximately 26 wk of age). Duroc-sired progeny had heavier (108.0 vs. 103.0 kg, P < 0.001) and longer carcasses (86.9 vs. 84.8 cm, P < 0.01), whereas Pietrain-sired pigs had less backfat at the first rib (44.6 vs. 47.7 mm, P < 0.01), last lumbar vertebrae (20.9 vs. 23.0 mm, P < 0.05), and 10th rib (23.0 vs. 25.5 mm, P < 0.01). No difference between Pietrain and Duroc progeny was detected for fat depth at the last rib (27.8 vs. 28.8 mm, respectively). Pietrain progeny had a higher percentage of lean at slaughter (52.6 vs. 50.7, P < 0.05) and higher dressing percentage (74.0 vs. 73.1, P < 0.01). Primal cut weights were collected with Pietrain progeny having a greater percentage of carcass as ham (23.0 vs. 22.4, P < 0.01) and loin (21.6 vs. 21.2, P < 0.05), whereas Duroc progeny had a higher percentage of belly weight (12.0 vs. 11.7, P < 0.05). Percentages of Boston butt (8.8 vs. 9.0) and picnic shoulder (9.9 vs. 9.9) were similar for Duroc vs. Pietrain progeny. Total weight of these five primal cuts, as a percentage of carcass weight, was higher for Pietrain progeny (75.2 vs. 74.3, P < 0.01). With heavier carcass weight, Duroc progeny had greater primal cut weights as a function of age. Subjective meat quality scores for color, marbling, and firmness (1 to 5 scale) were more favorable for Duroc-sired progeny. Furthermore, chops from Duroc progeny had higher 24-h pH (5.53 vs. 5.48, P < 0.001) and Minolta a* (17.33 vs. 17.04, P < 0.05) with less percentage drip loss (2.88 vs. 3.80, P < 0.001). No differences were detected between Duroc- and Pietrain-sired progeny for Minolta L* (54.77 vs. 55.37) or b* (7.58 vs. 7.58) objective color scores, percentage cooking loss (28.63 vs. 29.23), or Warner-Bratzler shear force (6.94 vs. 7.11 kg). Both sire breeds have beneficial traits that can be utilized in commercial pork production and merit further study.

Reduced-fat bologna manufactured with poultry skin connective tissue gel.

The objectives of this study were to determine temperature (50, 60, 70, and 80 C) and time (0.5, 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0 h) effects on the water binding ability of chicken skin connective tissue (CCT) and its ability to form model gels; to develop and determine the functionality of added water (AW, 100, 200, and 300%) CCT gels; and to evaluate the attributes of reduced-fat bologna containing 10 to 30% addition of 100 to 300% AW CCT gels. Determination of water binding and holding capacities, and objective textural and color attributes provided data suggesting the practicality of developing and incorporating AW CCT gels as water binders in reduced-fat bologna. Processing qualities, and textural and sensory attributes were analyzed to assess the feasibility of manufacturing a reduced-fat processed poultry product containing a modified poultry by-product. Heating (60 C) CCT for 0.5 h allowed the formation of model CCT gels containing 100 to 300% AW. Added water decreased CCT gel fat, protein, collagen content, and hardness due to a protein (collagen) dilution. Hydration values were sufficient to allow CCT to bind up to 300% AW. Gel fragility and syneresis were observed in higher AW CCT gels due to protein dilution, a result of the high fat content of raw CCT (approximately 40%) and added water. Percentage gel addition and AW decreased (P < 0.05) the hardness of reduced-fat CCT gel bologna. All bologna treatments exhibited acceptable sensory attributes. This study indicated the feasibility of using lower AW CCT gels as texture-modifying agents in reduced-fat comminuted meat products.