Beef Carcasses Aged at Mild Temperature to Improve Sustainability of Meat Production

André Ndereyimana, Michela Contò, Antonella Chiariotti, Gianluca Renzi and Sebastiana Failla ()
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André Ndereyimana: Sciences Agronomiques et Veterinaires, Université de Ngozi, Quartier Kanyami, Ngozi B.P. 137, Burundi
Michela Contò: Consiglio per la Ricerca in Agricoltura e l’Analisi dell’Economia Agraria (CREA), Centro di Ricerca Zootecnia e Acquacoltura (Research Centre for Animal Production and Aquaculture), Monterotondo, 00016 Rome, Italy
Antonella Chiariotti: Consiglio per la Ricerca in Agricoltura e l’Analisi dell’Economia Agraria (CREA), Centro di Ricerca Zootecnia e Acquacoltura (Research Centre for Animal Production and Aquaculture), Monterotondo, 00016 Rome, Italy
Gianluca Renzi: Consiglio per la Ricerca in Agricoltura e l’Analisi dell’Economia Agraria (CREA), Centro di Ricerca Zootecnia e Acquacoltura (Research Centre for Animal Production and Aquaculture), Monterotondo, 00016 Rome, Italy
Sebastiana Failla: Consiglio per la Ricerca in Agricoltura e l’Analisi dell’Economia Agraria (CREA), Centro di Ricerca Zootecnia e Acquacoltura (Research Centre for Animal Production and Aquaculture), Monterotondo, 00016 Rome, Italy

Sustainability, 2024, vol. 16, issue 22, 1-21

Abstract: Beef carcass aging, which enhances tenderness and flavor through proteolysis, is traditionally costly and slow, requiring long-term storage at temperatures near 0 °C. To reduce energy consumption, a new technique using moderate cooling room temperatures was tested. Six carcasses of Holstein bulls were used. From each carcass, two shoulders were processed in different ways: one was refrigerated at 8 °C (W), and after spraying with a solution with calcium chloride and sodium chloride, was coated with sodium alginate. The other shoulder was stored at 2 ± 1 °C as a cold control (C). After five days of aging, the shoulders were dissected, and two muscles ( Caput longum triceps brachii and Supraspinatus ) were subjected to physico-chemical analysis, microbiological safety assessment, and sensory testing. The remaining samples of both muscles were stored in domestic conditions for an additional 5 days at various temperatures (2, 4, 8 °C), where the same physic-chemical and sensory tests were conducted. The results showed that moderate aging temperature improved meat quality, significantly reducing the shear force ( p = 0.001) and increasing sarcomere length, the myofibrillar fragmentation index, and sensory tenderness ( p = 0.042, p = 0.039, and p = 0.027, respectively). However, domestic storage post-dissection should not exceed 4 °C to prevent rapid lipid oxidation, as observed at 8 °C for both muscles ( p < 0.001). Mild aging temperature maintained legal safety standards, enhanced certain meat qualities, and promoted enzymatic activity similar to traditional dry aging while reducing high energy consumption.

Keywords: meat aging; tenderness; meat oxidation; cooling room; temperature effect (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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