Applications of the SuspenTec system in improving beef round palatability

Scope and Method of Study: The objective was to determine the influence of the SuspenTecRTM system on the palatability traits of beef round cuts. In phase I, USDA Select paired beef eye of round (ER), and bottom round flat subprimals (BF), were selected, aged for 14 d and cut into equal halves and randomly assigned to a 20% or 30% suspension of 50/50 beef trimmings incorporated in a brine solution containing salts, phosphates, and antioxidants or a control group. Each treatment was injected to a target weight of 120%. Subprimal halves were fabricated into 2.54 cm steaks for Warner-Bratzler shear force (WBS) and sensory analysis (SEN). Phase II was conducted using 14 d aged ER (n=35) and BF (n=32) subprimals that were either processed using the 30% SuspenTecRTM suspension (30%), a traditional enhanced (E), or blade tenderized (BT) which were compared to traditional wet aged 14 d controls (CON) to determine their effects on WBS, SEN and lipid oxidation using thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS).;Findings and Conclusions: In Phase I suspensions containing 30% trimmings improved (P < 0.05) the WBS of BF steaks while their 20% counterparts showed no differences. No differences (P > 0.05) in tenderness in WBS values between treatments was evident in ER steaks; however, there were significant (P < 0.05) improvements in initial juiciness, sustained juiciness, initial tenderness and overall tenderness in both ER and BF when comparing the SuspenTecRTM treatments to controls. Phase II showed no differences (P > 0.05) in WBS of BF or TBARS in either cut, however, differences (P < 0.05) were evident among the various treatments on ER steaks, with E steaks exhibiting the most desirable WBS tenderness with BT and 30% being intermediate followed lastly by the CON steaks. Sensory values showed, 30% steaks with higher levels (P < 0.05) of initial and sustained juiciness compared to CON and BT BF steaks. Panelists rated overall tenderness of non-intact treatments as being more desirable when compared to CON counterparts. Similarly, 30% and E affected (P < 0.05) the initial and sustained juiciness of ER steaks. Compared to CON ER steaks, all non-intact treatments improved (P < 0.05) the initial and overall tenderness ratings.