| Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1188646 | Food Chemistry | 2009 | 7 Pages |
Fifteen USDA Select beef strip loins were divided individually into four equal width sections, and one of six treatments containing phosphate and/or calcium lactate (CAL) enhancement solutions were assigned randomly to each loin section (n = 10). Steaks from each loin section were packaged with high-oxygen (80% O2) modified-atmosphere packaging, and/or irradiated at 2.4 kGy, stored 10 days and then displayed for 5 days at 1 °C. Instrumental colour, total reducing activity (TRA), 2-thiobarbituric acid value (TBARS), and NADH concentration were measured. Loins with CAL and phosphate maintained the most stable red colour, increased NADH (p < 0.05), and were the least oxidised. Among irradiated steaks, CAL with phosphate treatment significantly minimised lipid oxidation, increased NADH and TRA, and consequently had a higher a∗ value. These results suggest that lactate inclusion improves colour stability of fresh beef by providing superior antioxidant capacity and increased reducing activity of myoglobin by elevating NADH concentration.
