Effects of Different Low-Temperature Storage Methods on the Quality and Processing Characteristics of Fresh Beef

Abstract

Low-temperature storage has become the most common way for fresh meat storage because of its lower cost and better preservation effect. Traditional low-temperature preservation includes frozen storage and refrigeration storage. The refrigeration storage has a good fresh-keeping effect, but the shelf life is short. Frozen storage has a long shelf life, but it has a great impact on the quality of meat structure and other qualities, and cannot achieve a complete “fresh-keeping” effect. With the development of food processing storage and freezing technology, two new storage methods, ice temperature storage and micro-frozen storage, have attracted more attention. In this paper, the effects of different low-temperature storage methods on the sensory, physicochemical properties, myofibrillar protein oxidation, microstructure, and processing characteristics of fresh beef were studied. The optimal storage methods under different storage requirements were analyzed to reveal the mechanism and efficacy of ice temperature storage and micro-frozen storage technology, as well as the advantages compared with traditional low-temperature refrigeration. It has practical significance for guiding the application of low-temperature storage of fresh meat. Finally, this study concluded that the longest shelf life could be achieved by frozen storage, and the best preservation effect was achieved during the shelf life of ice temperature storage, and the effect of micro-frozen storage on the myofibrillar protein oxidation and microstructure was the best.

Keywords

• fresh beef
• low-temperature refrigeration
• ice temperature storage
• micro-frozen storage
• myofibrillar protein