Application of immersion vacuum cooling to water-cooked beef joints – Quality and safety assessment

Immersion vacuum cooling (IVC) was compared against air blast cooling (AB) and vacuum cooling (VC), to establish its applicability to cool water-cooked beef joints. Process parameters (cooling time and cooling loss) and quality parameters (proximate; physical; sensory and microbial analysis) were compared. Results showed IVC samples have lower cooling losses and improved quality properties compared to VC, while generally comparable to AB samples. IVC cooling times were slower then VC, but faster than AB. Sensory results showed no preference between samples (P > 0.05), even though differences in tenderness and juiciness were detected. Cooling methods had no significant effect on thermoduric spore survival or heat activation in the case of Bacillus atrophaeus and Geobacillus stearothermophilus spores. Results confirmed IVC is capable of combining rapid process times and lower mass losses producing microbiologically safe beef joints of overall high quality in terms of sensory, physical and composition characteristics.