Research Progress in the Formation of Quality of Dry-Aged Beef and Approaches for Its Added Value

Abstract

Dry aging is an effective method to improve the quality and value of meat. Meat quality characteristics such as tenderness and flavor can be significantly improved through a series of biochemical reactions. In recent years, dry-aged beef has gained huge popularity among consumers and research attention due to its unique flavor. However, there are some problems with the dry-aged beef industry, such as large quality differences, high losses during maturation, and high production costs. This article systematically summarizes quality characteristics of dry-aged beef, including flavor, tenderness, safety, color and water-holding capacity (WHC). The mechanism of formation of its characteristic flavor is briefly described. The effects of different dry-aging conditions on beef quality are summarized. New dry aging technologies and value-added ways to reuse the crust are introduced. This article will hopefully provide theoretical guidance for the standardized, efficient and high-value development of the dry-aged beef industry.

Keywords

• dry aging; beef; flavor; quality; value-added ways