Evaluation of three vacuum packaging methods for retail beef loin cuts

Area of Science:

• Food Science
• Meat Science
• Packaging Technology

Background:

• Beef T-bone steaks are susceptible to quality degradation during aging and display.
• Packaging methods significantly influence meat color, purge, and overall shelf-life.
• Optimizing packaging is crucial for maintaining consumer appeal and reducing economic losses.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the effects of vacuum-skin packaging (VSP) versus vacuum packaging (VP) on beef T-bone steak quality.
• To evaluate the impact of different aging and portioning strategies within VP on meat quality.
• To assess color stability and purge under aerobic display conditions.

Main Methods:

• Beef T-bone sub-primal cuts were processed into three groups: VPR (double VP, extended aging), VPP (single VP, 21-day aging), and VSP (21-day aging).
• Meat quality attributes including purge and color (oxymyoglobin, chroma) were measured.
• Samples underwent aerobic display for up to 3 days to assess color stability.

Main Results:

• Vacuum-skin packaging (VSP) exhibited significantly less purge compared to vacuum packaging (VP) methods (VPR and VPP).
• VSP showed higher oxymyoglobin and chroma values after 2 and 3 days of aerobic display, respectively.
• Vacuum-packaged steaks (VPP) demonstrated better color stability than those subjected to re-packaging (VPR).

Conclusions:

• Vacuum-skin packaging is superior to vacuum packaging for preserving beef T-bone steak quality, particularly regarding color and purge.
• VSP enhances visual appeal during aerobic display, suggesting improved consumer acceptance.
• Packaging strategies significantly impact beef aging outcomes and display characteristics.