High pressure processing improves the tenderness and quality of hot-boned beef

James D Morton; R Grant Pearson; Hannah Y-Y Lee; Stephanie Smithson; Susan L Mason; Roy Bickerstaffe

doi:10.1016/j.meatsci.2017.06.005

High pressure processing improves the tenderness and quality of hot-boned beef

Meat Sci. 2017 Nov:133:69-74. doi: 10.1016/j.meatsci.2017.06.005. Epub 2017 Jun 16.

Authors

James D Morton¹, R Grant Pearson², Hannah Y-Y Lee², Stephanie Smithson², Susan L Mason², Roy Bickerstaffe²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Wine, Food and Molecular Biosciences, Lincoln University, New Zealand. Electronic address: mortonj@lincoln.ac.nz.
² Department of Wine, Food and Molecular Biosciences, Lincoln University, New Zealand.

PMID: 28649047
DOI: 10.1016/j.meatsci.2017.06.005

Abstract

Strip loins from different grades of cattle were subjected to two levels of high pressure processing (HPP) within 1h of slaughter at a commercial meat processing plant and chilled for 1day before freezing. The physical and eating quality characteristics of longissimus thoracis (strip loin) steaks from HPP were compared to meat that was chill aged for 1 or 28days. HPP produced meat after 1day with 60% lower shear force and higher sensory eating quality scores than 1day chill aged meat. Extended chill storage for 28days produced steaks of similar tenderness to HPP meat. HPP also increased the ultimate pH and decreased the cooking loss. Chilled storage of the gluteus medius from prime cattle for 28days significantly improved the shear force by 18%, whilst HPP improved both the shear force by 43% and the sensory eating quality scores. HPP can produce high eating quality eye of rump medallions within 1day of slaughter.

Keywords: Beef; Gluteus medius; High pressure processing; Longissimus thoracis; Pre-rigor; Sensory; Shear force.

MeSH terms

Animals
Cattle
Consumer Behavior
Cooking
Female
Food Handling / methods*
Humans
Hydrogen-Ion Concentration
Male
Muscle, Skeletal
Pressure*
Red Meat / analysis*