title: A comparison of needle-free and needle-injection methods and solutions for enhancement of beef longissimus lumborum muscles.
abstract: In Experiment 1, beef strip loins (n=15) were halved and assigned to needle (N) or needle-free (NF) injection enhancement with a phosphate plus salt solution (PS) to determine effects on color, water-binding, and palatability. Pump yields tended (P=0.08) to be higher for NF injection. Needle-injected steaks were darker (P<0.05) on day 1 only. The NF treatment had greater instrumental tenderness and intensity of off-flavors but less cooking loss and beef flavor (both P<0.05). In Experiment 2, strip loins (n=28) were halved and assigned to one of four treatments: (1) N, or (2) NF injection with PS; (3) N, or (4) NF injection with a calcium lactate solution (CL) to determine effects on water-binding and palatability. Needle-free injection resulted in a greater incidence (P<0.05) of off-flavors and abnormal texture. The PS solution resulted in greater (P<0.05) instrumental, myofibrillar, and overall tenderness; greater juiciness; greater incidence of off-flavors and abnormal texture; and less (P<0.05) connective tissue and cooking losses than CL. The PS and NF combination had the highest pumped yields and least cooking losses (both P<0.05). Enhancing beef strip loins with PS and NF injection has potential to improve yield, tenderness, and juiciness but harm texture and flavor.
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Sciences and Industry, Kansas State University, 216 Weber Hall, Manhattan, KS 66506, USA.
authors.forename: B A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Crow
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Dikeman
authors.forename: L C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Hollis
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Phebus
authors.forename: A N
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Ray
authors.forename: T A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Houser
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Grobbel
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017610:Calcium Compounds / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002417:Cattle; D003116:Color; D003238:Connective Tissue; D003296:Cooking; D005519:Food Preservation / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007267:Injections / Q000379:methods; D007773:Lactates / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008460:Meat / Q000032:analysis* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000592:standards; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000187:drug effects*; D009210:Myofibrils; D009339:Needles; D010710:Phosphates / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012965:Sodium Chloride / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013649:Taste; D014867:Water
chemical_list: D017610:Calcium Compounds; D007773:Lactates; D010710:Phosphates; D014867:Water; C110051:calcium lactate; D012965:Sodium Chloride