Optimal conditions for beef tenderization through radiofrequency heating with cold air

Area of Science:

• Food Science and Technology
• Meat Science
• Biotechnology

Background:

• High-temperature aging (15-37°C) accelerates beef tenderization but risks microbial spoilage.
• Constant temperature heating methods can lead to undesirable microbial proliferation.
• Novel methods are needed to achieve tenderization without compromising food safety.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate radiofrequency tenderization (RF-T) for achieving beef tenderization similar to aging.
• To determine optimal RF-T conditions (temperature, power, time) to inhibit microbial growth.
• To evaluate the impact of RF-T on beef texture and free amino acid content.

Main Methods:

• Beef samples were treated with RF-T for 22-48 hours at varying cooling temperatures (-20°C to 15°C) and specific RF heating powers (15-30 W/kg).
• Surface aerobic bacteria counts were measured post-treatment.
• Sliced shear force (SSF) and free amino acid (FAA) content were analyzed to assess tenderization and flavor development.

Main Results:

• Lower cooling temperatures (-10°C and -20°C) significantly reduced aerobic bacteria counts compared to higher temperatures (15°C and 5°C).
• Optimal RF-T conditions (30 W/kg, -20°C) for 48 hours resulted in over 20% tenderization and 1.5-fold increase in FAAs.
• Bacterial levels under optimal RF-T conditions (5.22 log CFU/g) remained below the Korean regulatory limit (6.7 log CFU/g).

Conclusions:

• Radiofrequency tenderization (RF-T) is a viable high-temperature tenderization method for beef.
• Controlling chamber temperature during RF-T effectively inhibits microbial spoilage and enhances surface drying.
• RF-T offers a reproducible and industrially applicable method for producing aged-like beef with improved safety and quality.