COLOR OF RESTRUCTURED BEEF STEAKS (TEMPERATURE)

Restructured steaks offer the potential advantage of upgrading lower valued cuts and carcasses while providing a completely edible, boneless product with both texture and price intermediate between that of ground meat and intact high quality muscle steaks. The primary objective of this research was to identify factors which affect color stability of restructured beef steaks while optimizing texture. This problem was approached by alterations in processing techniques. Two studies were conducted. The objective of the first study was to determine the effect of meat processing temperature on the color of restructured beef steaks. Restructured beef steaks were made at processing temperatures of 4.4, 1.7, -1.1 or -3.9(DEGREES)C using carbon dioxide snow to obtain the desired temperatures. The relative percentages of, deoxymyoglobin and metmyoglobin were not affected by processing temperature (P \u3e 0.05), as measured by reflectance spectrophotometry. Percent oxymyoglobin was higher in steaks processed at 3.9(DEGREES) (P \u3e 0.05). Product lightness, as measured by a Hunterlab colorimeter, increased as processing temperature decreased (P \u3c 0.05) while product redness was unaffected. There was a decrease in oxymyoglobin (P \u3c 0.01) and an increase in deoxymyoglobin (P \u3c 0.01) and metmyoglobin (P \u3c 0.01) with time. Product lightness showed an overall increase (P \u3c 0.01) with time while product redness decreased (P \u3c 0.01). Product bind increased linearly (P \u3e 0.01) as processing temperature decreased. Product color was slightly improved as processing temperature decreased and product bind was also improved. The second study evaluated the effect of method of crust freezing (immediate blast freezing, delayed blast freezing and rapid carbon dioxide snow crust freezing) as well as processing temperature (4, 0, -4(DEGREES)C) on the color and texture of restructured beef steaks. Steaks manufactured at -4(DEGREES)C were higher in cooking losses (P \u3c 0.05), less tender (P \u3c 0.01) and had a poorer bind than steaks manufactured at 0 or 4(DEGREES)C. Steaks that were blast frozen immediately had a significantly higher bind (P \u3c 0.01) than steaks that were delayed blast frozen or rapidly crust frozen. The color of steaks processed at -4(DEGREES)C and immediately blast frozen was improved (higher Hunter color values) and had more oxymyoglobin and less metmyoglobin and deoxymyoglobin than steaks from other treatments. It is recommended that restructured steaks be processed at or near 0(DEGREES)C followed by immediate blast freezing to optimize product color and bind