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Effect of Pulsed Electric Field Treatment on the Eating and Keeping Qualities of Cold-Boned Beef Loins: Impact of Initial pH and Fibre Orientation

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Abstract

In this study, the effects of fibre direction and initial pH on the effectiveness of pulsed electric field (PEF) treatment (10 kV, 90 Hz, 20 μs) to improve the quality of beef Longissimus muscle (LL) was evaluated. The traits studied included tenderness (shear force), water loss, meat colour, lipid oxidation and post-mortem proteolysis. Beef LL muscles of three different pH ranges (5.5–5.8, 5.8–6.1 and >6.1) were obtained from 16 bull carcasses. The LL muscles were removed from the carcasses 24 h post-mortem and treated with pulsed electric field within 6 h. No significant effect was found on total water loss, shear force, meat colour and lipid stability between the treated and the corresponding non-treated control samples due to fibre direction or initial pH. Increased proteolysis was found in treated samples as evident by increases in troponin-T and desmin degradation. A larger increase in proteolysis was observed in low-pH (5.5–5.8) samples compared to the high-pH (>6.1) samples which was reflected in shear force measurements.

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Acknowledgments

The financial support by Meat and Livestock Australia and Australian Meat Processor Corporation Ltd. is greatly acknowledged. The assistance of the management and staff of Alliance Group and the team at Pukeuri Plant is also acknowledged.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Food Science, University of Otago, PO Box 56, Dunedin, New Zealand

    Via Suwandy & Alaa El-Din A. Bekhit

  2. Department of Biochemistry, University of Otago, PO Box 56, Dunedin, New Zealand

    Alan Carne

  3. NSW Department of Primary Industries, Orange Agricultural Institute, Forest Road, Orange, NSW, 2800, Australia

    Remy van de Ven

  4. NSW Department of Primary Industries, Centre for Red Meat and Sheep Development, PO Box 129, Cowra, NSW, 2794, Australia

    David L. Hopkins

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  1. Via Suwandy
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  4. Alaa El-Din A. Bekhit
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Correspondence to Alaa El-Din A. Bekhit.

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Suwandy, V., Carne, A., van de Ven, R. et al. Effect of Pulsed Electric Field Treatment on the Eating and Keeping Qualities of Cold-Boned Beef Loins: Impact of Initial pH and Fibre Orientation. Food Bioprocess Technol 8, 1355–1365 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11947-015-1498-8

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