title: Nitrite spray treatment to promote red color stability of vacuum packaged beef.
abstract: Sodium nitrite solutions were sprayed on select grade boneless rib (M. longissimus thoracis) and bottom round (mainly M. biceps femoris) steaks individually, to form bright red nitric oxide myoglobin (NO-Mb) in vacuum packages. Our objective was to determine the optimum level of nitrite in spray for stable raw steak redness, low or no residual nitrite, and low surface pinking (ham-like cured color) after cooking. Results showed that steaks sprayed with 100-350 ppm nitrite solutions had 3.0-3.6g weight gain and a calculated level of 1.3-5.3mg nitrite added/kg steak, but very low (<1 ppm) residual nitrite. Nitrite sprays of 250-350 ppm were optimum for raw steak color during 21 days of storage at 1°C (a*>10; chroma C*>16). Raw steak redness was less stable in round than rib. Visual scores for pinkness after cooking were low, indicating that cooked color at even the highest nitrite treatment (350 ppm) was acceptable.
authors.affiliation: Beef Processing and Quality Control Laboratory, College of Food Science and Engineering, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an, Shandong 271018, PR China; Department of Nutrition, Dietetics, and Food Sciences, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322-8700, USA.
authors.forename: Xiao
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Song
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition, Dietetics, and Food Sciences, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322-8700, USA.
authors.forename: Daren
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Cornforth
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition, Dietetics, and Food Sciences, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322-8700, USA.
authors.forename: Dick
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Whittier
authors.affiliation: Beef Processing and Quality Control Laboratory, College of Food Science and Engineering, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an, Shandong 271018, PR China. Electronic address: luoxin@sdau.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Xin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Luo
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D003116:Color; D003296:Cooking; D005511:Food Handling; D018857:Food Packaging / Q000379:methods*; D005519:Food Preservation / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008460:Meat / Q000032:analysis*; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000378:metabolism*; D009211:Myoglobin / Q000378:metabolism*; D009573:Nitrites; D010858:Pigmentation; D012977:Sodium Nitrite; D014618:Vacuum
chemical_list: D009211:Myoglobin; D009573:Nitrites; D012977:Sodium Nitrite
keywords: Beef; Color; Display; Nitrite; Package; Spray