Introduction
Beef color is one of the primary attributes affecting consumer acceptability and purchase decisions at the point-of-sale (Ramanathan et al., 2020). Surface discoloration in beef results in an annual sales loss of $3.73 billion in the United States (Ramanathan et al., 2022). A bright cherry-red color of beef avoids product rejection (Mancini and Hunt, 2005). Additionally, the visual perception of fresh beef color is influenced by aging. Steaks from muscles aged 14 d and longer exhibited increased browning and surface discoloration at the end of retail display (Colle et al., 2016). At the point-of-consumption, beef tenderness is the most important trait associated with palatability and meat-eating satisfaction (Warner et al., 2021).
Muscles in a beef carcass demonstrate differences in biochemistry (Picard and Gagaoua, 2020), and muscle source influences color (McKenna et al., 2005) as well as tenderness (Von Seggern et al., 2005). The National Beef Tenderness Survey (Martinez et al., 2017) reported that retail cuts containing biceps femoris (BF) are less tender than the cuts from the ribs and loins. With abundant connective tissue, BF is one of the tough and underutilized muscles in the beef carcass (Von Seggern et al., 2005). Increasing the tenderness of beef BF may add value to the carcasses (Jepsen et al., 2023). Several processing and enhancement strategies have been studied to improve beef BF tenderness, such as salt and lactates (Baublits et al., 2005; Baublits et al., 2006; Hoffman et al., 2008), ginger extract (Suman et al., 2012), soy sauce (Kim et al., 2013), and extended aging (Colle et al., 2016).
Wet aging postmortem skeletal muscles for 21 d has been extensively utilized by the meat industry to enhance beef tenderness. On the other hand, prolonged aging could adversely affect beef color (Colle et al., 2015; Colle et al., 2016). Beef BF is a glycolytic muscle (Kirchofer et al., 2002; Picard and Gagaoua, 2020) and has a low color stability (McKenna et al., 2005). However, beef BF is less susceptible to aging-induced discoloration compared to oxidative muscles (Kirchofer et al., 2002; Colle et al., 2016). Previous investigations evaluated the influence of aging (up to 63 d) on the quality of beef BF (Colle et al., 2016). However, the influence of aging on color stability and tenderness of beef BF is not yet completely understood. Identifying optimal wet-aging time for improved tenderness and color of beef BF could enhance the economic competitiveness of the beef industry. Furthermore, this approach is highly relevant to the beef supply chain because industry has been increasingly marketing individual muscles to maximize the value of carcasses. Therefore, the objective of the present study was to examine the effect of postmortem aging (for 0, 7, 14, and 21 d) on color stability, lipid oxidation, and shear force of beef BF steaks.
Materials and Methods
Beef fabrication
The BF muscles were excised 24 h postmortem from both sides of 8 (n = 8) beef carcasses (US Department of Agriculture [USDA] select grade) obtained from the USDA-inspected meat laboratory of the University of Kentucky. The muscles were further divided into 2 equal-length sections, resulting in 4 muscle sections per carcass. The muscle sections were vacuum packaged and randomly assigned to wet aging at 2°C for either 0, 7, 14, or 21 d. After aging, the muscle sections were fabricated into 1.92-cm thick steaks. The steaks were randomly assigned for analyses of tenderness, myoglobin concentration, and color attributes. Two steaks were immediately vacuum packaged and frozen at −20°C for analysis of shear force and myoglobin concentration. The remaining steaks were individually overwrapped in oxygen-permeable polyvinyl chloride film and allocated to refrigerated storage for 0, 3, or 6 d in darkness. Shear force and myoglobin concentration were evaluated on each aging day, whereas instrumental color, metmyoglobin reducing activity (MRA), and lipid oxidation were evaluated on each day of storage.
Shear force evaluation
Warner-Bratzler shear force (WBSF) of the steaks was evaluated according to the method previously described (American Meat Science Association, 2015). The frozen steaks were thawed at 4°C for 16 h, and the thawed steaks were cooked on a clam-shell electric grill (George Foreman Lean Meat Fat Reducing Grilling Machine, Salton Inc., Columbia, MO). The grill surfaces were preheated to 165°C, and the surface temperature was monitored using an infrared thermometer (Raytek Minitemp FS, Raytek Corp., Santa Cruz, CA). The steaks were cooked to an internal endpoint temperature of 71°C. The temperature at the geometric center of the steaks was monitored with a type K thermocouple thermometer (AccuTuff 340, Cooper-Atkins Corp., Middlefield, CT) coupled with a microneedle probe. Immediately after removal from the grill, the cooked steaks were placed individually in plastic bags and placed in a refrigerator (4°C) to minimize postcooking temperature rise. The cooked steaks were chilled at 4°C for 24 h to improve consistency in coring. Using a hand-held coring device, 6 cylindrical cores (1.27 cm in diameter) were obtained from each steak parallel to the muscle fiber orientation. Each core was sheared once through the center with a V-shaped blade of Warner-Bratzler shear device attached to a universal testing machine (Shimadzu EZ-Test, Shimadzu Scientific Instruments, Columbia, MD) set at 200 mm/min crosshead speed and equipped with a 50-kg load cell. Shear force values were recorded as the peak force (N), and the mean of the 6 readings (from 1 steak) was used for data analysis.
Myoglobin concentration
Myoglobin concentration was determined according to the method of Faustman and Phillips (2001). Duplicate 5 g muscle samples, obtained from one steak, were homogenized with 45 mL ice-cold sodium phosphate buffer (40 mM, pH 6.8) for 45 s and centrifuged at 15,000 × g for 30 min at 4°C. The supernatant was filtered through Whatman No. 1 paper, and the absorbance of the filtrate was measured at 525 nm utilizing a UV-2401PC spectrophotometer (Shimadzu Scientific Instruments, Columbia, MD) with 40 mM sodium phosphate buffer as a blank. The myoglobin concentration was calculated using the following equation:
where 7.6 mM−1 cm−1 = millimolar extinction coefficient of myoglobin at 525 nm, 1 cm = path length of cuvette, 17,000 Da = average molecular mass of myoglobin, and 10 = dilution factor.Meat pH
The pH of the raw steaks was measured according to Strange et al. (1977). Duplicate 5 g muscle samples, obtained from 1 steak, were homogenized with 30 mL of distilled deionized water (at 25°C), and the pH was measured utilizing an Accumet AR25 pH meter (Fisher Scientific, Pittsburg, PA).
Instrumental color
The surface color of the steaks was measured using a HunterLab LabScan XE colorimeter (Hunter Associates Laboratory, Reston, VA) with a 2.54-cm-diameter aperture, illuminant A, and 10° standard observer. The colorimeter was calibrated with standard black and white plates. L* (lightness), a* (redness), and b* (yellowness) values were measured at 3 random locations on the oxygen-exposed surface of each steak (King et al., 2023). Additionally, the reflectance was measured from 700 to 400 nm, and the ratio of reflectance at 630 and 580 nm (R630/580) was determined as an indirect estimate of surface color stability (King et al., 2023). Greater values for R630/580 indicate high redness due to the presence of either oxymyoglobin or deoxymyoglobin, whereas lower values indicate an increase in metmyoglobin and an appearance of dull-brown color (King et al., 2023).
Metmyoglobin reducing activity
The MRA was evaluated according to Sammel et al. (2002). Cubes (2.5 cm × 2.5 cm × 2.5 cm) of meat were removed from the oxygen-exposed surfaces of each steak and submerged in a sodium nitrite solution (0.3%) for 20 min at room temperature to induce metmyoglobin formation. After 30 min, the samples were removed from the solution, blotted dry, and vacuum packaged. The reflectance spectra were measured from 700 to 400 nm on the oxygen-exposed surface using a HunterLab LabScan XE colorimeter immediately after vacuum packaging to calculate preincubation surface metmyoglobin values (King et al., 2023). The samples were then incubated at 30°C for 2 h, allowing for metmyoglobin reduction, and subsequently the surface reflectance was rescanned to calculate postincubation metmyoglobin values (King et al., 2023).
MRA was calculated using the following equation:
Lipid oxidation
Thiobarbituric acid (TBA) assay was used for measuring lipid oxidation (Yin et al., 1993). A duplicate 5-g of sample was homogenized with 22.5 mL of 11% trichloroacetic acid (TCA) solution and filtered through Whatman No. 1 filter paper (GE HealthCare, Little Chalfont, UK). Subsequently, 1.5 mL of the resulting aqueous filtrate were added with an equal volume of 20 mM TBA solution and incubated at 25°C for 20 h. A blank of 20 mM TBA and 11% TCA were simultaneously incubated with the other samples. The absorbance value at 532 nm was measured utilizing a UV-2401PC spectrophotometer (Shimadzu Inc., Columbia, MD), and the results were presented as TBA reactive substances (TBARS).
Statistical analysis
The BF muscles from both sides of 8 (n = 8) beef carcasses were utilized in this study, and the experimental unit was the muscles from 1 carcass. The experimental design was a split-split plot with the BF muscles from 1 carcass as a whole plot and aging time (0, 7, 14, and 21 d) as a subplot. For color parameters and lipid oxidation, storage day (0, 3, and 6) was set as a sub-sub plot. The random effects included carcass and aging time. The data were analyzed using the mixed procedure of SAS (SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC), and the effects of aging days and storage days as well as their interactions were analyzed. The differences among means were detected using the least significant difference at P < .05.
Results and Discussion
Warner-Bratzler shear force
There was an effect of aging (P < .0001) on WBSF of beef BF steaks (Table 1). Steaks exhibited a progressive decrease (P < .05) in WBSF with the increasing aging time. Steaks from BF aged 21 d exhibited lower (P < .05) shear force than those from BF aged 0, 7, and 14 d (Table 1). While steaks from 7- and 14-d aged BF were similar in WBSF, they were more tender (P < .05) than the steaks from 0-d aged BF muscle (Table 1). Beef tenderness is an important palatability trait affecting consumers’ eating experience (Curry et al., 2023; Beyer et al., 2024; Hene et al., 2024) and repurchase decisions (Warner et al., 2021). Postmortem fragmentation of muscle structure through the action of endogenous proteolytic systems increases tenderness (Huff-Lonergan et al., 2010; Kim et al., 2018). The decrease of WBSF, consequent to the tenderization of beef, could be attributed to increased proteolysis of structural and associated muscle proteins (Huff-Lonergan et al., 2010).
Warner-Bratzler shear force and myoglobin concentration of wet-aged1 beef biceps femoris muscles (n = 8)2
| Attribute | Aging Days | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 7 | 14 | 21 | |
| WBSF (N) | 59.15 ± 1.26a | 49.01 ± 1.93b | 45.70 ± 1.58b | 41.72 ± 2.06c |
| Myoglobin concentration (mg/g) | 5.79 ± 0.34a | 5.79 ± 0.26a | 5.24 ± 0.20b | 5.15 ± 0.22b |
SEM, standard error of the mean; WBSF, Warner-Bratzler shear force.
Aged in vacuum packaging at 2°C.
Results expressed as mean ± SEM.
Means without common superscript within an attribute are different (P < .05).
Similar results were reported previously in WBSF of other beef muscles aged for variable durations. Ma et al. (2017) investigated the proteolytic changes in myofibrillar and small heat shock proteins in beef longissimus lumborum, semimembranosus, and psoas major during aging (2, 9, 16, and 23 d) and reported a decrease in WBSF in all muscles aged for 23 d compared to their counterparts aged for 1 d. Bhat et al. (2018) investigated the calpain activity, myofibrillar protein profile, and physicochemical properties of the beef BF and semimembranosus during aging (1, 7, and 14 d) and reported a decrease in WBSF in muscles aged for 14 d compared to those aged for 1 d. Gruber et al. (2006) evaluated the effect of postmortem aging (2, 4, 6, 10, 14, 21, and 28 d) on WBSF of 17 individual beef muscles (including BF) and observed a decrease in WBSF of all muscles with the increase of aging time. On the contrary, Colle et al. (2016) evaluated the influence of aging (2, 14, 21, 42, and 63 d) on quality characteristics of beef BF and semimembranosus and reported no effect of aging in WBSF of BF, whereas WBSF decreased in semimembranosus with longer aging periods.
Myoglobin concentration
Aging influenced myoglobin concentration (P = .0205; Table 1). BF muscles aged 14 and 21 d exhibited lower (P < .001) myoglobin concentration than their counterparts aged for 0 and 7 d (Table 1). The observed results may be attributed to purge loss (Bowker et al., 2014) and myoglobin denaturation (Mitacek et al., 2019) during aging. Meat exudate is released during wet aging and is mainly composed of sarcoplasmic proteins (e.g., myoglobin). With prolonged aging time, the exudate loss (Bowker et al., 2014) and myoglobin denaturation (Mitacek et al., 2019) increase, contributing to decreased myoglobin concentration in 14- and 21-d-aged samples. In agreement with the present results, Wang et al. (2021) reported a decrease in myoglobin concentration in longissimus lumborum muscles aged 7, 14, and 21 d compared to their nonaged counterparts. In contrast, Ma et al. (2017) evaluated the effect of aging (9, 16, and 23 d) on the color stability of beef longissimus lumborum and reported no influence of aging in myoglobin concentration. King et al. (2021) documented an increase in myoglobin concentration in beef BF, longissimus lumborum, and gluteus medius with aging time (14, 21, 28, and 35 d). Myoglobin concentration in beef is muscle specific (McKenna et al., 2005), and this muscle-specific nature may be partially attributed to the disagreements between aforesaid studies.
Meat pH
There was aging × storage interaction (P = .0010; Table 2) for pH. After 6 d of storage, BF steaks aged for 21 d exhibited greater (P < .05) pH values than their counterparts aged for 0, 7, and 14 d (Table 2). While the pH of BF steaks aged 14 and 21 d increased (P < .05) during storage (Table 2), the pH of their counterparts aged 0 and 7 d exhibited stable (P > .05) values during storage (Table 2). The aging-related pH increase can be attributed to muscle proteolysis, which becomes more pronounced with extended aging. The accumulation of alkaline products of protein degradation during aging leads to an increase in pH (Huff-Lonergan et al., 2010).
Surface lightness (L* value), yellowness (b* value), and pH of wet-aged1 beef biceps femoris muscles (n = 8) during refrigerated storage (2°C) for 6 d under aerobic packaging2
| Attribute | Aging Days | Storage Days | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 3 | 6 | ||
| Meat pH | 0 | 5.24 ± 0.03c | 5.27 ± 0.03bc | 5.31 ± 0.03bc |
| 7 | 5.29 ± 0.05bc | 5.30 ± 0.03bc | 5.26 ± 0.04c | |
| 14 | 5.26 ± 0.04c | 5.28 ± 0.02bc | 5.34 ± 0.05b | |
| 21 | 5.26 ± 0.03c | 5.30 ± 0.03bc | 5.48 ± 0.07a | |
| L* value | 0 | 40.98 ± 1.10bc | 42.31 ± 0.88ab | 43.02 ± 1.08a |
| 7 | 41.39 ± 0.94b | 41.85 ± 0.77b | 42.21 ± 1.02ab | |
| 14 | 43.70 ± 1.04a | 42.92 ± 0.94ab | 41.01 ± 1.67b | |
| 21 | 42.87 ± 1.25ab | 43.15 ± 1.34a | 40.68 ± 1.20c | |
| b* value | 0 | 20.38 ± 0.42c | 20.03 ± 0.55c | 18.64 ± 0.66cd |
| 7 | 23.98 ± 0.56a | 22.71 ± 0.86ab | 19.93 ± 0.87c | |
| 14 | 24.73 ± 0.36a | 22.00 ± 0.82b | 18.69 ± 0.78cd | |
| 21 | 24.16 ± 0.32a | 21.37± 1.60b | 17.93 ± 1.73d | |
SEM, standard error of the mean.
Aged in vacuum packaging at 2°C.
Results expressed as mean ± SEM.
Means without common superscript within an attribute are different (P < .05).
A similar increase in pH with extended aging times was reported previously in beef. Wyrwisz et al. (2016) investigated the influence of 21 d of aging on color, bloom development, and shear force of beef semimembranosus and reported greater pH values in samples aged 14 and 21 d than their 1- and 7-d aging counterparts. Kim et al. (2020) reported greater pH in beef longissimus lumborum from Hanwoo cattle aged for 7 d than in nonaged counterparts. The influence of postfabrication aging (2, 14, 21, 42, and 63 d) was examined on the quality of gluteus medius (Colle et al., 2015), longissimus lumborum (Colle et al., 2015), semimembranosus (Colle et al., 2016), and BF (Colle et al., 2016). While an increase in pH was documented in longissimus lumborum aged 42 and 63 d, no influence of aging was observed in the pH of BF, gluteus medius, and semimembranosus in these studies.
In contrast, Ma et al. (2017) evaluated the influence of aging in beef longissimus lumborum, semimembranosus, and psoas major and observed a pH decrease from 9 to 23 d of aging. A similar decrease in pH was reported (English et al., 2016a) in the pH of beef longissimus lumborum aged for 62 d compared to the nonaged steaks. On the other hand, Kim et al. (2022) investigated the effects of aging methods (wet aging, dry aging, and packaged dry aging) for 0, 15, 30, 45, and 60 d on quality traits of beef gluteus medius and reported an increase of pH with prolonged aging time. These variations among the muscles could be partially due to muscle-specific biochemistry in fresh beef (McKenna et al., 2005; Von Seggern et al., 2005).
Lightness
There was an aging × storage interaction (P = .0041; Table 2) for lightness (L* values). On day 0 of storage, the lightness of BF steaks aged for 14 d was greater (P < .05) than their counterparts aged for 0 and 7 d (Table 2). However, on day 6 of storage, steaks aged for 21 d exhibited lower (P < .05) lightness than those aged for 0, 7, and 14 d (Table 2). During storage, there was an increase in lightness (P < .05) of steaks aged 0 d, whereas a decline (P < .05) was observed in steaks aged 14 and 21 d (Table 2). In contrast, the lightness did not change (P > .05) in steaks aged for 7 d.
Previous investigations on beef aging supported the findings of the present study. Bruce et al. (2004) evaluated the influence of aging (1 and 14 d) in the color of beef longissimus thoracis and reported greater lightness in samples aged for 14 d compared to their 1-d aged counterparts. The author associated the increase of lightness during aging with muscle protein degradation and loss of water-holding capacity, both of which lead to an increase in light reflectance (Warriss and Brown, 1987) and surface lightness. Vitale et al. (2014) studied the impact of aging on the tenderness, color, and lipid stability of longissimus thoracis et lumborum from mature cows and reported greater lightness in muscles aged 14 and 21 d. King et al. (2021) evaluated the effect of aging (14, 21, 28, or 35 d) on the color of 3 beef muscles (longissimus lumborum, gluteus medius, and BF) and observed greater initial L* values in steaks aged for 14 or 35 d than in steaks aged for 21 or 28 d. In contrast, Colle et al. (2016) evaluated the influence of aging (2, 14, 21, 42, and 63 d) on quality characteristics of beef BF and reported no effect of aging on lightness.
The observed results in lightness during storage may be attributed to the meat pH (Abril et al., 2001; Hughes et al., 2017). An increase in pH, observed during the storage of BF steaks aged 14 and 21 d (Table 2), enhances the water-holding capacity of meat and its surface light absorption, contributing to the decrease in lightness (Abril et al., 2001; Hughes et al., 2017). The increase in muscle pH is also related to the increase of mitochondrial activity and oxygen consumption, which contribute to the formation of deoxymyoglobin, leading to a dark appearance (Ramanathan et al., 2010; English et al., 2016b; Hughes et al., 2017).
In partial agreement with the present results, Callahan et al. (2019) examined the impact of wet and dry aging (16 d) and retail display (5 d) on the discoloration of beef BF and observed a decrease in lightness from day 1 to 5 of display. In contrast, Colle et al. (2016) reported an increase of lightness in beef BF aged 2, 14, 21, 42, and 63 d during 4 d of retail display. Vitale et al. (2014) reported that the lightness of longissimus thoracis et lumborum (from mature cows) aged for 14 and 21 d increased from 0 to 3 d of storage and remained constant until 9 d of simulated retail display.
Redness
There was aging × storage interaction (P = .0413; Figure 1) for redness (a* values). BF steaks aged 7, 14, and 21 d exhibited greater (P < .05) redness than their nonaged counterparts on days 0 and 3 of storage (Figure 1). Nevertheless, all samples exhibited a decrease (P < .05) in redness from day 0 to 6 of storage (Figure 1).
Surface redness (a* values) of wet-aged1 beef biceps femoris muscles (n = 8) during refrigerated storage (2°C) for 6 d under aerobic packaging2 A0, aged for 0 d; A7, aged for 7 d; A14, aged for 14 d; A21, aged for 21 d; SEM, standard error of the mean.
1Aged in vacuum packaging at 2°C.
2Results expressed as mean ± SEM.
a–dMeans without common superscripts are different (P < 0.05).
The increased redness in aged samples can be attributed to a decrease in mitochondrial oxygen consumption (English et al., 2016b) and an increase in the abundance of enzymes related to energy metabolism (Nair et al., 2018) during aging. As aging time increases, there is a decrease in competition for oxygen from mitochondria, thereby improving oxymyoglobin formation and increase in redness (Ramanathan et al., 2013; Mancini and Ramanathan, 2014; Ramanathan and Mancini, 2018). English et al. (2016b) reported a decrease in oxygen consumption in beef longissimus lumborum with an increase in aging duration (21, 42, and 62 d). Additionally, Nair et al. (2018) evaluated the muscle-specific changes in color and sarcoplasmic proteome of beef longissimus lumborum, psoas major, and semitendinosus during aging (0, 7, 14, or 21 d) and reported that aged steaks (7 d) exhibited greater initial redness compared to nonaged counterparts. An overabundance of adenylate kinase isoenzyme 1, which catalyzes the reversible conversion of adenosine diphosphate to adenosine triphosphate, was observed in longissimus lumborum and semitendinosus aged for 7 d, which may have contributed to the greater redness.
In agreement with the present results, Wyrwisz et al. (2016) investigated the influence of 21 d of vacuum-aging on color, bloom development, and shear force of beef semimembranosus and reported an increase in redness in steaks aged for 7 d compared to steaks aged for 1, 14, and 21 d. English et al. (2016b) evaluated the effects of extended aging (21, 42, or 62 d) on color of beef longissimus lumborum and reported that the steaks aged for 21 d exhibited greater redness than steaks aged for 42 and 62 d. Bruce et al. (2004) investigated the effects of postmortem aging on beef longissimus thoracis and documented greater redness in steaks aged for 14 d compared to nonaged counterparts. Lagerstedt et al. (2011) evaluated the effect of different aging times (0, 5, or 15 d) on the color of beef longissimus dorsi and observed greater redness in samples aged for 5 and 15 d compared to the nonaged counterparts. Vitale et al. (2014) evaluated the effect of aging time (0, 3, 6, 8, 14, and 21 d) on the color stability of beef longissimus thoracis et lumborum from mature cows during display (0, 3, 6, and 9 d) and documented greater redness in all aged samples compared to the nonaged counterparts on day 0 of storage.
Conversely, Wang et al. (2021) reported no influence of aging (0, 7, 14, and 21 d) in the redness of beef longissimus lumborum on days 0 and 3 of storage. A decrease in redness was reported in samples aged 14 and 21 d during storage, whereas their counterparts from 0 and 7 d of aging exhibited stable redness during 6 d of storage. King et al. (2021) evaluated the effect of extended aging (14, 21, 28, or 35 d) on the color stability of beef BF, longissimus lumborum, and gluteus medius and documented that redness did not differ among aging times on day 0 of display. However, increasing aging time increased the rate of decline in redness during simulated retail display. Colle et al. (2016) evaluated the influence of aging (2, 14, 21, 42, and 63 d) on the quality of beef BF and documented no influence of aging (up to 21 d) on redness of BF on day 0 of storage.
Yellowness
There was aging × storage interaction (P = .0003; Table 2) for yellowness (b* values). BF steaks aged 7, 14, and 21 d exhibited greater (P < .05) yellowness than the steaks aged for 0 d on 0 and 3 d of storage. All aged samples exhibited a decrease (P < .05) in yellowness from day 0 to 6 of storage (Table 2).
In partial agreement with these results, Callahan et al. (2019) evaluated the effect of the aging method (wet and dry) and retail display (1, 3, and 5 d) on the quality of beef BF and reported a decrease in yellowness during 5 d of retail display. Colle et al. (2016) investigated the influence of aging (2, 14, 21, 42, and 63 d) on the quality of beef BF and semimembranosus and reported a decrease in yellowness of both muscles with the increase of aging and storage time.
Vitale et al. (2014) evaluated the effect of aging time (0, 3, 6, 8, 14, and 21 d) on the color stability of beef longissimus thoracis et lumborum (from mature cows) during display (0, 3, 6, and 9 d) and documented greater yellowness in aged steaks (3, 6, 8, 14, and 21 d) than in the nonaged counterparts on day 0 of storage. Additionally, a decrease in yellowness was reported in steaks aged 8, 14, and 21 d, whereas their counterparts aged 3 and 6 d exhibited stable yellowness during 9 d of storage. King et al. (2021) evaluated the effect of extended aging (14, 21, 28, or 35 d) on the color stability of beef BF, longissimus lumborum, and gluteus medius and documented greater yellowness in steaks aged 14 d than in their counterparts on day 0. Additionally, the authors reported a decrease in yellowness with increased display time. Bruce et al. (2004) investigated the effects of postmortem aging (14 d) on the quality of beef longissimus thoracis and documented greater yellowness in steaks aged for 14 d compared to nonaged counterparts.
Color stability
There was no aging × storage interaction (P = .5506; Table 3) for color stability (R630/580). However, there was an effect of aging (P = .0139) and storage (P < .0001) on R630/580. All samples exhibited a decrease (P < .05) in color stability during storage (Table 3). The BF steaks aged for 7 and 14 d exhibited greater (P < .05) color stability (R630/580) than their counterparts from 0 d of aging only on day 3 of storage (Table 3).
Surface color stability (R630/580), metmyoglobin reducing activity, and lipid oxidation (thiobarbituric acid reactive substances) of wet-aged1 beef biceps femoris muscles (n = 8) during refrigerated storage (2°C) for 6 d under aerobic packaging2
| Attribute | Aging Days | Storage Days | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 3 | 6 | ||
| R630/580 | 0 | 5.24 ± 0.26ax | 3.54 ± 0.22by | 2.79 ± 0.24az |
| 7 | 5.85 ± 0.49ax | 4.81 ± 0.38ay | 3.16 ± 0.45az | |
| 14 | 5.92 ± 0.23ax | 4.27 ± 0.31ay | 3.01 ± 0.26az | |
| 21 | 5.96 ± 0.18ax | 4.11 ± 0.28aby | 2.90 ± 0.19az | |
| MRA | 0 | 61.32 ± 4.36ax | 44.49 ± 3.48ay | 38.29 ± 5.12ay |
| 7 | 62.54 ± 2.28ax | 47.74 ± 7.05ay | 40.37 ± 8.99ay | |
| 14 | 59.54 ± 4.22ax | 43.70 ± 6.32ay | 42.16 ± 9.94ay | |
| 21 | 58.08 ± 7.14ax | 38.23 ± 9.33ay | 31.81 ± 8.97ay | |
| TBARS3 | 0 | 0.014 ± 0.002bz | 0.041 ± 0.012by | 0.094 ± 0.03bx |
| 7 | 0.021 ± 0.002az | 0.131 ± 0.036ay | 0.198 ± 0.052ax | |
| 14 | 0.037 ± 0.013az | 0.170 ± 0.040ay | 0.254 ± 0.041ax | |
| 21 | 0.038 ± 0.009az | 0.125 ± 0.022ay | 0.194 ± 0.025ax | |
MRA, metmyoglobin reducing activity; SEM, standard error of the mean; TBARS, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances.
Aged in vacuum packaging at 2°C.
Results expressed as mean ± SEM.
Result expressed as absorbance at 532 nm.
Means within a column without common superscript are different (P < .05).
Means within a row without common superscript are different (P < .05).
R630/580 = ratio of reflectance at 630 and 580 nm.
The ratio of reflectance at 630 and 580 nm indirectly estimates the surface color stability. High ratios indicate more redness due to the content of oxymyoglobin or deoxymyoglobin, whereas low ratios (close to 1.0) indicate increased metmyoglobin content and meat discoloration (King et al., 2023). Extending the aging time decreases the oxygen competition from mitochondria, increasing oxygen availability and oxymyoglobin formation (Mancini and Ramanathan, 2014; Ramanathan and Mancini, 2018). This may have partially contributed to the greater color stability observed in BF steaks aged 7 and 14 d.
In agreement with the present results, Nair et al. (2018) evaluated the muscle-specific changes in color of beef longissimus lumborum, psoas major, and semitendinosus during aging (7, 14, or 21 d) and reported that steaks aged for 7 d exhibited greater color stability (R630/580) than their counterparts aged for 0, 14, and 21 d. Vitale et al. (2014) evaluated the effect of aging time (0, 3, 6, 8, 14, and 21 d) on the color stability of longissimus thoracis et lumborum from mature cows during display (0, 3, 6, and 9 d) and documented greater color stability in steaks aged 6, 14, and 21 d compared to their nonaged counterparts. Additionally, a decrease in color stability was reported in the steaks aged 14 and 21 d during 9 d of retail display. In partial agreement, Wang et al. (2021) reported that aging time (0, 7, 14, and 21 d) and storage (6 d) decreased the color stability (R630/580) of beef longissimus lumborum. On the contrary, Lindahl (2011) investigated the effect of aging (5, 15, and 25 d) and storage (5 d) on the color stability of beef longissimus dorsi and semimembranosus and reported that aging time and storage increased the metmyoglobin content in both muscles.
Metmyoglobin reducing activity
There was no aging × storage interaction (P = .9966; Table 3) for MRA. While aging did not affect (P = .6335) MRA, a decrease in MRA (P < .05) was observed during storage in all samples (Table 3). In partial agreement with the present findings, Wang et al. (2021) reported no influence of aging (0, 7, 14, and 21 d) on MRA of beef longissimus lumborum on days 0, 3, and 6 of storage. However, these authors observed a decrease in MRA in samples aged 0, 7, and 14 d during 6 d of storage. Similarly, Nair et al. (2018) evaluated the muscle-specific changes in color of beef longissimus lumborum, psoas major, and semitendinosus and reported no effect of aging (up to 21 d) on MRA.
Ramanathan et al. (2019) evaluated the effect of extended aging (0, 21, 42, and 62 d), packaging, and display time (6 d) on MRA of normal and high-pH beef and reported that the increase of aging time decreased MRA for steaks with normal and high pH when packaged in the presence of oxygen. On the contrary, Callahan et al. (2019) investigated the impact of aging and retail display on the discoloration of beef BF aged for 16 d and reported a decrease in MRA during 5 d of retail display.
The variations in MRA during aerobic storage could be possibly explained based on mitochondrial activity in fresh steaks (Ramanathan and Mancini, 2018). Mitochondrial NADH production and oxygen consumption promote an environment that favors metmyoglobin reduction (Mancini and Ramanathan, 2014) by transferring available electrons to metmyoglobin by cytochrome (Arihara et al., 1995). Increasing storage time decreases mitochondrial electron-transport-mediated metmyoglobin reduction contributing to a decrease in MRA and beef color stability (Mancini and Ramanathan, 2014).
Lipid oxidation
There was no aging × storage interaction (P = .8436; Table 3) for TBARS. However, there was an effect of aging (P = .0018) and storage (P < .0001) on TBARS. The BF steaks aged for 7, 14, and 21 d exhibited greater (P < .05) TBARS than unaged steaks throughout the storage (Table 3). There was an increase (P < .05) in lipid oxidation in all samples from day 0 to 6 of storage (Table 3).
Oxidation of lipids and myoglobin are interrelated in muscle foods (Baron and Andersen, 2002; Faustman et al., 2010). Prolonged aging increases myoglobin denaturation (Mitacek et al., 2019), leading to the release of heme (Baron and Andersen, 2002). A disturbance of the globin structure also results in the formation of hemochromes that potentially induce lipid oxidation (Baron and Andersen, 2002). In addition, metmyoglobin is a prooxidant associated with an extent role in lipid oxidation in muscle foods (Andersen et al., 1991; Faustman et al., 2010; Ramanathan et al., 2020). In this perspective, the increase of heme content and metmyoglobin during storage accelerates lipid oxidation leading to an increase in TBARS.
Ismail et al. (2008) investigated the effect of aging (1, 2, and 3 wk) and display time (0, 3, and 7 d) on the color and lipid oxidation of beef top rounds and reported that aging influenced lipid oxidation with the 2-wk- and 3-wk-aged top rounds exhibiting greater TBARS values than 1-wk-aged counterparts. Colle et al. (2016) documented an increase in TBARS in aged (2, 14, 21, and 42 d) BF during 4 d of retail display. Ma et al. (2017) investigated the effect of aging (9, 16, and 23 d) and display (1, 4, and 7 d) on color and lipid oxidative stabilities of beef muscles (longissimus lumborum, semimembranosus, and psoas major) and documented an increase of TBARS in the 23-d-aged muscles compared with those from 9- and 16-d-aged counterparts.
On the contrary, Vitale et al. (2014) reported no influence of aging (0, 3, 6, 8, 14, and 21 d) on the lipid oxidation of longissimus thoracis et lumborum from mature cows; however, there was an increase in TBARS during 9 d of retail display. Yang et al. (2002) evaluated the color and oxidative stability of fresh or 47-d-aged longissimus dorsi, semimembranosus, and gluteus medius during 7 d of storage and reported no effect of aging in TBARS on day 0 of storage. However, an increase in lipid oxidation was observed in all muscles during 7 d of aerobic storage.
Conclusions
The findings of the present study suggested that wet aging could increase the tenderness of BF steaks. Beef BF steaks aged for 21 d exhibited lower WBSF compared to nonaged steaks and those after 7 and 14 d of aging. Additionally, aged BF steaks exhibited greater redness during the initial days of storage but decreased by day 6. Moreover, both aged and nonaged steaks demonstrated similar overall color stability. These results indicated that 21 d of wet aging could be a practical processing strategy in the retail beef industry to improve the tenderness of BF steaks without compromising the surface color.
Conflict of Interest
The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
Acknowledgments
This work was supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, US Department of Agriculture, Hatch-Multistate Project 7003954.
Author Contributions
Ana Paula A. A. Salim: formal analysis, validation, visualization, writing – original draft, and writing – review & editing. Mahesh N. Nair: data curation, formal analysis, investigation, validation. Yifei Wang: data curation, formal analysis, and software. Anna C.V.C.S. Canto: data curation, visualization. Gregg Rentfrow: conceptualization, funding acquisition, investigation, methodology, resources, and supervision. Surendranath P. Suman: conceptualization, funding acquisition, investigation, methodology, project administration, resources, supervision, validation, and writing – review & editing.
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