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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Stoneville, Mississippi » Warmwater Aquaculture Research Unit » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #331271
Research Project: Umbrella Project for Food Safety

Location: Warmwater Aquaculture Research Unit

Title: Efficacy of sweet whey containing final dips in reducing protein oxidation in retail-cut cubed beefsteak

Author
item MUKHERJEE, DIPALOKE - Mississippi State University
item HAQUE, ZAHUR - Mississippi State University

Submitted to: Annals Food Science and Technology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/6/2015
Publication Date: 6/18/2015
Citation: Mukherjee, D., Haque, Z.Z. 2015. Efficacy of sweet whey containing final dips in reducing protein oxidation in retail-cut cubed beefsteak. Annals Food Science and Technology. 16(1):85-89.

Interpretive Summary: In the study, the antioxidative efficacy of various concentrations of sweet whey used in edible coatings to preserve retail cut cubed steak from protein oxidation was investigated. We showed that Cheddar and Edam whey have different inherent antioxidative properties with Cheddar being more effective in thwarting the consequences of oxidative degradation of muscle food.

Technical Abstract: Oxidative degradation results in extensive deterioration of shelf-life and quality of retail-cut muscle foods. Use of antioxidants, especially the ones of natural origin, can markedly reduce this process without adverse health consequences to the consumer. Sweet whey originating from Cheddar (CW) and Edam (EW) cheese manufacture possess remarkable antioxidative properties. The current study investigated the efficacy of CW and EW when used in edible coatings against oxidative degradation of retail-cut cubed beefsteak Steak samples, immersed for two minutes in the coatings were stored for 7 days at 4°C in Styrofoam polyover wrapped trays and their average carbonyl contents (CC) were analyzed. Results exhibited the marked efficacy of both types of sweet whey in reducing oxidative degradation as evidenced by significantly lower (P<0.05) CC compared to the controls (immersed only in the buffer). Samples treated with CW exhibited numerically lower CC compared to EW for greater number of treatments. Best demonstration of the protective efficacy of CW was at a concentration of 2%, w/v throughout the entire storage period, which showed 35.6, 71.9, 59.3, 84.3 and 93.5% lower CC compared to the control respectively following storage for nil, 1, 3, 5 and 7 days. The same samples also exhibited 28.1, 48.3, 5.1, 28.7 and 39.6% lower CC relative to t the EW treatments respectively for the same periods of storage. The study illustrated the potential for use of CW as a natural and relatively inexpensive constituent in edible coatings to protect and extend shelf life of retail-cut beef.