title: Staged injection marination with calcium lactate, phosphate and salt may improve beef water-binding ability and palatability traits.
abstract: Semitendinosus and longissimus muscles from USDA Select carcasses were used to investigate the effects of staged injection of calcium lactate followed by phosphate and salt (PS) on water-binding ability and palatability traits. Calcium lactate (0.2 M) and PS (8.4% and 4.2%, respectively) were sequentially injected (5.5% by weight) into muscles with 0, 1, 3, or 5 h holding time between injections. Treatments also included a double pump of 0.1 M calcium lactate with 0 h holding time between injections and a non-marinated control. Injection of calcium lactate and PS increased (P<0.05) pumped yield and decreased (P<0.05) expressible moisture values compared to calcium lactate injection only. No differences in peak force, total energy, or myofibrillar fragmentation index were observed among marination treatments for either muscle; however, longissimus tenderness was unusually high. Trained-panel evaluation of sensory traits did not differ for the semitendinosus muscle. Staged injection of calcium lactate and PS improved (P<0.05) myofibrillar and overall sensory tenderness scores of longissimus muscle over those of the non-marinated control. However, beef flavor intensity scores were lowered (P<0.05) by addition of PS. Holding time between injections did not appear to consistently influence water-binding ability or palatability traits. These data suggest that separate solutions of calcium lactate and PS may be injected into longissimus muscle to improve water-binding ability and palatability traits.
authors: Department of Animal Sciences & Industry, Kansas State University, 249 Weber Hall, Manhattan, KS 66506, USA.
authors: T E
authors: TE
authors: Lawrence
authors: M E
authors: ME
authors: Dikeman
authors: M C
authors: MC
authors: Hunt
authors: C L
authors: CL
authors: Kastner
authors: D E
authors: DE
authors: Johnson