Frozen storage stability of antioxidant-treated raw restructured beef steaks made from mature cows

Previous research has shown that beef quality decreased with the age of cattle. In this study, beef trimmings from nine mature cows (n = 9), equally representing three animal age groups (2-4, 6-8, and 10-12 yr), were restructured into steaks formulated with propyl gallate, alone or in combination with a beefy flavoring agent, to enhance palatability and stability during 6 months of frozen storage at -29 degrees C. Lipid oxidation, rancidity, and loss of beefy flavor in restructured steaks during extended storage were reduced by propyl gallate. The beefy flavoring agent inclusion masked mature, forage-fed beef off-flavors, intensified beefy flavor, and improved steak tenderness, juiciness and cooking yield. Thus, the combination of propyl gallate and beefy flavoring offers an effective means to enhance the palatability and storage stability of restructured beef prepared from mature cows. (C) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.