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Title: USE OF ELECTRICAL STIMULATION, HOT PROCESSING AND CARRAGEENAN FOR PROCESSING LOW-FAT GROUND BEEF PATTIES

Author
item Berry, Bradford
item JOSEPH ROBIN L - NAT'L FOOD CTR, IRELAND
item Stanfield, Marilyn

Submitted to: Journal of Meat Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/27/1995
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Concern regarding potential food poisoning from consuming undercooked beef patties has resulted in recommendations to consumers to avoid eating patties with any pink color. However, low-fat (10 percent) beef patties frequently require longer cooking or cooking to temperatures well beyond those recognized as safe (160 deg F) to eliminate all pink color in cooked patties. With low-fat patties, this excessive cooking frequently results in unacceptable eating quality. Fifteen years ago with high fat (> 20 percent) patties, immediate processing and freezing of patties after slaughter (hot processing) improved eating quality and cooking yields. In the present study with low-fat patties, the improvements in eating quality and cooking yields from using hot processing were even more dramatic. The addition of iota carrageenan (derived form seaweed) to patties provided improvements in tenderness and juiciness. These two processing steps offer processors valuable technology for improving eating quality and cooking properties of low- fat beef patties.

Technical Abstract: Three studies were conducted to determine the effects of electrical stimulation, hot processing and carrageenan usage on sensory, shear force and cooking properties of low-fat (5, 10 percent) beef patties. Sides assigned to electrical stimulation (ES) received 600 V pulsating current for 120 s. Nonstimulated (NS) sides were also included for comparisons. Sides subjected to hot processing (HP) were boned 90 min post-exsanguination. Cold processing (CP) was initiated 48 h post- mortem. Formulations included the use of carrageenan (none, 0.5 percent iota, 0.5 percent kappa). Patties manufactured from NSHP beef had higher pH and cooking yields, less shrink in patty dimensions during cooking and lower shear force values than patties from NSCP controls (P < 0.05). ES improved tenderness and juiciness of CP patties, while ESHP patties exhibited higher cooking yields than NSCP patties. Cooked patty properties were similar between 5 and 10 percent fat levels. Use of iota carrageenan provided improvements in tenderness and juiciness over patties receiving no carrageenan or kappa carrageenan. Processors should consider HP (improved cooking yields, patty configuration, tenderness) and the use of iota carrageenan (improved tenderness and juiciness) for low-fat beef patties.