QUALITY CHARACTERISTICS OF RESTRUCTURED BEEF STEAKS MANUFACTURED BY VARIOUS TECHNIQUES

Beef (9-11% fat) was restructured with each of six mechanical treatments including chunking, fiberizing, slicing, chunking + slicing, slicing + water, and tenderizing each in combination with addition of 0.5% sodium chloride (salt)/0.5% phosphate, 0.5% Na-alginate/0.5% Ca-lactate, 0.5% Na-pectate/0.5% Ca-lactate, or no additives (control). Beef steaks restructured with salt/phosphate had lower (P<0.05) purge losses, higher binding force and bind scores than control products. Steaks restructured with Na-alginate/Ca-lactate had lower cooking losses and higher bind scores than controls. Use of Na-pectate/Ca-lactate did not improve (P>0.05) purge loss, cooking loss, binding force or sensory properties. Chunked meat or mixtures of chunked and sliced meats in combination with salt/phosphate or Na-alginate/Ca-lactate resulted in steaks with acceptable bind and textural properties.