Effect of Differing Ingredients and Packaging Technologies on the Color of High-Pressure Processed Ground Beef

Abstract

High-pressure processing (HPP) is a nonthermal pasteurization technique to control pathogens, like Escherichia coli. However, color changes in raw beef induced by HPP restrict its use within the beef industry. The objectives of this study were to investigate the effects of adding curing agents (nitrite) and packaging with or without reducing compounds (ascorbic acid/erythorbate) on color retention in high-pressure processed ground beef. Color was measured (CIE L∗a∗b∗) before HPP and on days 3, 7, 12, 14, 19, and 21 after HPP. Statistical analysis (SAS GLIMMIX) was run to identify the main effects of adding curing agents, packaging, and reducing agents on color retention. HPP resulted in a detrimental effect on the color of the beef patties for all treatments. Lightness and yellowness increased (P<0.001) and redness decreased (P<0.001) after high-pressure processing. The effect remained the same throughout the course of the study. However, there were less color changes in samples treated with reducing compounds. Both synthetic and natural sources of nitrite and ascorbic acid/erythorbate performed similarly in terms of their ability to maintain redness. Treatments leading to formation of nitrosylmetmyoglobin (Fe3+) had less severe color change compared to the treatments leading to the generation of nitrosylmyoglobin (Fe2+).