The effect of packaging on consumer eating quality of beef

R J Polkinghorne; J Philpott; Jessira Perovic; J Lau; L Davies; W Mudannayake; R Watson; G Tarr; J M Thompson

doi:10.1016/j.meatsci.2018.04.002

The effect of packaging on consumer eating quality of beef

Meat Sci. 2018 Aug:142:59-64. doi: 10.1016/j.meatsci.2018.04.002. Epub 2018 Apr 5.

Authors

R J Polkinghorne¹, J Philpott², Jessira Perovic³, J Lau³, L Davies⁴, W Mudannayake⁵, R Watson⁶, G Tarr⁷, J M Thompson⁸

Affiliations

¹ School of Environmental and Rural Science, University of New England, Armidale, NSW 2351, Australia; Birkenwood Pty. Ltd, 431 Timor Rd, Murrurundi, NSW 2338, Australia.
² Birkenwood Pty. Ltd, 431 Timor Rd, Murrurundi, NSW 2338, Australia.
³ MSA, The Short Run, University of New England, Armidale, NSW 2351, Australia.
⁴ Teys Australia Pty Ltd, 2728, Logan Road, Eight Mile Plains, QLD 4113, Australia.
⁵ Teys Australia Pty Ltd, Lakes Creek Rd, North Rockhampton, QLD 4701, Australia.
⁶ School of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia.
⁷ School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia.
⁸ School of Environmental and Rural Science, University of New England, Armidale, NSW 2351, Australia. Electronic address: jmthommo@gmail.com.

PMID: 29660545
DOI: 10.1016/j.meatsci.2018.04.002

Abstract

This experiment examined 3 packaging systems: overwrap packaging using oxygen permeable film (OWP); vacuum skin packaging (VSP) and modified atmosphere packaging (MAP, 80%O₂ and 20%CO₂) on consumer sensory. Three primals from 48 carcasses were aged in vacuum packs for 5, 12 or 40 days. Steaks from longissimus lumborum, gluteus medius and psoas major muscles were packed in OWP, VSP and MAP for 9 days. Untrained consumers scored grilled steaks for tenderness, juiciness, liking of flavour and overall acceptability. Steaks in MAP had 10-12 points lower sensory scores (on a 100 point scale) compared to the OWP, or VSP systems (P < 0.001). The packaging effect was independent of days aging and muscle. It was concluded that high oxygen MAP has the potential to be included as an input variable in the Meat Standards Australia beef grading model. This would be contingent upon research into when the MAP effect occurred and the effect of using different gas mixtures on eating quality.

Keywords: Consumer sensory scores; Meat Standards Australia beef grading model; Modified atmosphere packaging (MAP); Overwrap film (OWP); Post-mortem aging rates; Vacuum skin packaging (VSP).

MeSH terms

Animals
Australia
Carbon Dioxide
Cattle
Color
Consumer Behavior*
Cooking
Food Packaging / methods*
Food Storage
Humans
Muscle, Skeletal
Oxygen
Red Meat / analysis*
Red Meat / standards
Taste
Vacuum

Substances

Carbon Dioxide
Oxygen