Frozen storage stability of vacuum-packaged precooked restructured steaks manufactured from mature cow beef

Beef trimmings from nine cows, equally representing three animal age groups (2-4, 6-8, and 10-12 year), were restructured into steaks formulated with propyl gallate, alone or in combination with a beefy flavoring agent, to enhance palatability and storage stability. Steaks were fully cooked prior to being stored under vacuum for 6 months at -29 °C. Animal age did not affect steak quality and lipid stability, whereas sensory palatability scores and reheating yield decreased significantly beyond 3 months. Propyl gallate did not impart any additional protection against lipid oxidation beyond that provided by vacuum packaging. On the other hand, inclusion of beefy flavoring agent masked all mature, forage-fed beef off-flavors, intensified beefy flavor and improved steak tenderness, juiciness and reheating yield. The incorporation of a beefy flavoring agent was shown to be an effective means to enhance the palatability of vacuum packaged precooked steaks manufactured from mature cows.