Storage and Display-Life Characteristics of Beef as Affected by Prerigor Pressurization

Top round cuts were obtained from sixteen sides of utility cows. Eight sides were randomly assigned as control (CON) and the remainders were prerigor pressurized (PRP) at 15,000 psi for 2 min. The top round from each side was divided into 4 wholesale cuts, vacuum packaged, heat-shrunk and randomly assigned to 0, 3, 5 or 7 weeks of storage at -1.6±1°C. Upon completion of each storage interval, wholesale cuts were removed from the storage area, purge losses determined and samples for microbial counts obtained. Two boneless steaks were prepared from each wholesale cut and displayed for 5 d at 1-3°C with 1076 lux fluorescent lighting for 12 h each day. Purge loss differed (P<0.05) only for the 5th week of storage. Wholesale cuts from PRP and CON had similar microbial counts at 0 and 3 weeks, while CON samples had higher microbial counts at 5 and 7 weeks. For all storage intervals, muscle color of the displayed steaks was improved (P<0.05) for the first 4 d of the display period by the PRP treatment. PRP steaks were consistently less discolored for all storage intervals. PRP improved the overall desirability of the displayed steaks throughout the experiment. Steaks prepared from PRP and CON wholesale cuts had the same microbial counts at 0 and 3 weeks of storage while CON steaks had higher and in most instances significantly higher microbial counts for 5 and 7 weeks. PRP had no apparant detrimental effects on the storage or display-life characteristics of meat, instead it beneficially influenced most of the parameters that were examined in this experiment.