Repackaging Nitrite-Embedded Dark-Cutting Steak in Aerobic Polyvinyl Chloride Film Decreases Surface Redness

Abstract

Theoverall goal was to evaluate the effects of repackaging nitrite-embeddeddark-cutting steaks in polyvinyl chloride (PVC) film on surface color.Dark-cutting beef strip loins (n = 8; pH = 6.39) and USDA Low Choice beef striploins (normal-pH, n = 6) were selected at a commercial packing plant.Dark-cutting loins were bisected and randomly assigned to nonenhanceddark-cutting and enhanced dark-cutting with glucono delta-lactone and rosemarytreatments. Normal-pH and nonenhanced dark-cutting steaks were vacuum packaged (VP)and served as controls, while enhanced dark-cutting steaks were packed innitrite-embedded packaging (NP). Steaks from nonenhanced normal-pH in VP, non-enhanceddark-cutting-VP, and enhanced dark-cutting-NP loins were randomly assigned to3, 6, or 9 d of dark storage. Following dark storage, steaks were repackaged inPVC and displayed for 6 d. The instrumental color, visual color, and aerobicplate count were evaluated for all steaks.  Enhanced dark-cutting steaks in nitritepackaging increased (P < 0.05) a* values and nitric oxide myoglobincontent during 24 h of dark storage. Enhanced dark-cutting steaks packaged inNP had greater a* and L* values (P < 0.05) than nonenhanced dark-cutting-VP steaks during darkstorage. Upon repackaging the enhanced dark-cutting steaks from nitritepackaging, nitric oxide myoglobin decreased (P < 0.05) during the first 12 h of display. Loss of nitric oxidemyoglobin corresponds with a darker red appearance, increased surfacediscoloration, and decreased a*values. There were no differences (P> 0.05) in aerobic plate count between enhanced dark-cutting-NP and non-enhanceddark cutting VP steaks during 9 days of dark storage. In conclusion, NPimproved surface redness; however, repackaging enhanced dark-cutting from NP steaksin PVC decreased color stability and redness of dark-cutting beef.