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Title: EFFECTS OF PATTY FORMATION SYSTEM, THICKNESS AND WEIGHT ON PROPERTIES OF COOKED LOW-FAT BEEF PATTIES

Author
item LIU, MARTHA - 1265-70-00
item Berry, Bradford

Submitted to: Journal of Food Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/29/1998
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Consumers have a strong interest in low-fat meat products for diet/health reasons. Simply reducing fat in thin meat items, such as beef patties often results in a tough, dry product with undesirable flavor. The major emphasis on improving the acceptability of low-fat patties has focused on the use of various fat replacers. However, these ingredients have not always produced consistent results. It is possible that in order to enhance eating quality and cooking yields of low-fat patties, the methods typically used in forming patties may have to be changed. This study evaluated two systems of forming patties. One was a traditionally "dropping" of the meat by gravity into the patty mold, while the other system twisted the meat through holes into the mold. Three-ounce versus four-ounce (quarter-pounders) and 1/2- inch-thick vs. 3/8-inch-thick patties were also compared. While differences in cooking properties and eating quality were not dramatic among the comparisons, twisting the meat through holes into the patty mold did improve tenderness. If patties have to be processed by a gravity "drop" into the mold, then processing of thicker patties may improve tenderness and juiciness of patties cooked by normal cooking methods. With low-fat patties, manufacture of "quarter-pounders" may also be expected to improve tenderness over three-ounce patties. Thus in the manufacture of low-fat patties, some improvements in tenderness and juiciness can be expected if less dense patties are formed by twisting the meat into the mold, coupled with making the patties heavier and thicker.

Technical Abstract: Effects of patty thickness (0.95 and 1.27 cm), weight (90 and 113 g) and type of fill system (traditional gravity fill = FF, twisted through holes into mold = TF) were evaluated with low-fat (10 percent) ground beef. An increase in patty thickness from 0.95 cm to 1.27 cm, resulted in a decrease (P < 0.01) in sensory firmness and peak load (Newtons) with an increase (P < 0.01) in initial juiciness. TF fill system and 1.27 cm thick FF treatments produced improvements in tenderness and juiciness over 0.95 cm thick FF patties. Improvements in tenderness and juiciness of low-fat beef patties can be attained through use of appropriate patty formation procedures.