This study determined antioxidant and sensory characteristics of cinnamon, cloves, fennel, pepper, and star anise (Chinese 5-spice ingredients) in cooked ground beef. Total aerobic plate counts were also measured. Mean thiobarbituric acid (TBA) values were high (3.4 ppm) for control cooked ground beef samples. With 1% use level, all spice treatments had lower pooled mean TBA values than controls. At the lowest use level of 0.1% of meat weight, all spices except pepper had lower TBA values than controls. Treatments with 0.1% cloves had lower (P < 0.05) TBA values than 0.1% levels of other individual spices. Star anise, fennel, pepper, and cinnamon samples at 0.5% use level had lower mean TBA values than controls, but not different from 1.0% levels, respectively. Thus, the lowest effective spice level for cloves was 0.1% and 0.5% for the other spices. There was a high correlation (P < 0.01) between TBA values and panel scores for rancid odor and flavor (0.83 and 0.78, respectively). Spice flavor was inversely correlated (P < 0.01) with rancid odor and flavor (-0.57 and -0.61, respectively). The 5-spice blends did not affect microbial load of cooked samples compared with controls. In conclusion, all spices and blends had a dual effect, reducing rancid odor/flavor and imparting a distinctive flavor to cooked ground beef.

This study determined antioxidant effects and sensory attributes of individual ingredients (black pepper, caraway, cardamom, chili powder, cinnamon, cloves, coriander, cumin, fennel, ginger, nutmeg, salt, star anise) of an Indian spice blend (garam masala) in cooked ground beef. Thiobarbituric acid (TBA) values were measured as an indicator of rancidity for cooked samples on 1‐, 8‐, or 15‐d refrigerated storage. Cooked samples were evaluated by a trained panel (n= 13) for the intensity of rancid odor/flavor, beef flavor, and spice flavor and correlated with TBA values of same day samples. We also investigated possible additive effects between spice antioxidants and iron binding (type II) antioxidants on lipid oxidation by measuring TBA values. All spices had antioxidant effects on cooked ground beef, compared to controls. Among spices, cloves were the most effective in controlling lipid oxidation, with TBA values of 0.75, after 15‐d refrigerated storage. All spices at their recommended levels lowered rancid odor and flavor in cooked ground beef, compared to controls. As expected, most spices also imparted distinctive flavors to cooked ground beef. There was a positive correlation (0.77) between TBA values on 15‐d refrigerated storage and rancid odor/flavor. Type II antioxidants (iron‐binding phosphate compounds) were more effective than individual type I antioxidants (spices and butylated hydroxytoluene; BHT) for maintenance of low TBA values in cooked ground beef during storage. Additive effects were observed with rosemary + milk mineral or sodium tripolyphosphate (STP) compared to rosemary alone.

: The objective of this study was to determine the antioxidant activity of 1.5% milk mineral (MM) added to uncured cooked beef meatballs and to evaluate possible synergistic effects of MM in combination with 20‐ppm or 40‐ppm sodium nitrite in beef sausages. All treatments were also formulated with 1.5% salt and 10% added water. Thiobarbituric acid (TBA) values and Hunter color values were determined at 1 d, 8 d, and 15 d of storage at 2°C. Meatball cooked yield was also measured. Cooked yield was not different (P < 0.05) between control meatballs and those containing MM. As expected, treatments containing nitrite had higher redness (CIE a*) than samples without nitrite. Redness values increased with storage time in sausages containing 40‐ppm nitrite. However, redness values decreased (P < 0.05) during storage for control meatballs, associated with increased lipid oxidation (higher TBA values). Lipid oxidation was lower (P < 0.05) in samples containing 1.5% MM with TBA values <1.2 after 15 d of storage compared with 6.1 for control samples. There was no synergistic inhibition of lipid oxidation in samples containing 20‐ppm or 40‐ppm sodium nitrite plus 1.5% MM. Milk mineral alone at 1.5% of meat weight was sufficient for inhibition of lipid oxidation in cooked beef samples.

The USDA FSIS meat and poultry jerky compliance guidelines recommend a high humidity or liquid immersion pasteurization step before drying. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of high humidity (>90%) or wet marinade pasteurization on jerky characteristics (water activity, moisture/protein ratio, total aerobic plate count [TAC]) and sensory properties. Jerky pasteurized by nonmarinade method A (76.6 degrees C dry bulb, 54.4 degrees C oven wet bulb temperature for 1 h) had highest sensory scores for spice intensity and interior cured color (redness), and generally lower TACs than jerky from marinade pasteurization methods. Jerky pasteurized by method B (54 degrees C for 121 min in marinade) had higher TACs than other methods. Approximately 2-log reduction in TAC was observed using marinade pasteurization in the smokehouse to internal temperature of 60 degrees for 12 min (method C), or in hot marinade to internal temperature of 70 degrees C before drying (method D), but jerky was less spicy and somewhat darker than jerky from method A. Extruded jerky (1.5-cm thickness) was similar to intact jerky for spice flavor intensity and interior redness, but required longer drying time to reach the target Aw of 0.85. Marinade pasteurization by methods C or D was feasible, and may be a preferred alternative for some processors, since monitoring of oven humidity during pasteurization is not necessary.

This study compared the effects of 1.4% or 2.7% sodium levulinate or sodium lactate on aerobic plate count (APC), color, pH, and TBA values of fresh pork and turkey sausage. Both sodium lactate and levulinate inhibited growth of aerobic microorganisms during storage compared to controls. Antimicrobial effects of sodium lactate were dose‐dependent, where as 2.7% lactate was significantly more antimicrobial than 1.4% lactate. This was not the case for sodium levulinate where 1.4% sodium levulinate was as inhibitory to microbial growth as 2.7% sodium levulinate. Additionally. 1.4% sodium levulinate was as inhibitory to microbial growth CIS the higher level (2.7%) of sodium lactate. TBA values, color and pH were not affected by either sodium lactate or levulinate. In conclusion, sodium levulinate may have potential as an antimicrobial agent in fresh sausage if it can be obtained at a reasonable cost on a commercial basis.