Incorporation of hydrogen-producing magnesium into minced beef meat protects the quality attributes and safety of the product during cold storage.

The impact of hydrogen (H2) producing magnesium (Mg) incorporation into minced beef meat (MBM) on the quality and safety of the product was investigated. The H2-producing Mg (H2-P-Mg)-incorporated MBMs were vacuumed (VP) and stored at 4 °C for 12 days. Other MBMs were vacuumed and gassed with H2 or N2. At the end of storage, the lowest browning index values were for H2 and H2-P-Mg samples. H2- PMg and VP methods generally decreased the counts of mesophilic and psychrotrophic bacteria and yeast molds and restricted the formation of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances and biogenic amines. Heat mapping, PCA, and multivariate analysis methods confirmed chemical analysis results. The volatile compounds were at their highest levels in the control samples at the end of storage, followed by H2, N2, H2-P-Mg, and VP samples. Using the H2-P-Mg method in MBM preparation could protect the quality characteristics and safety of the product during cold storage.

Virulence properties of Listeria monocytogenes isolated from meat and meat contact surfaces in a slaughterhouse.

Listeria monocytogenes is a ubiquitous microorganism that is isolated from a variety of sources such as soil, water, decaying vegetation, sewage, animal feeds, silage, farm environments and food-processing environments. This study aimed to determine the prevalence, serogroups, biofilm formation, virulence factor genes, and genetic relationships of L. monocytogenes strains isolated from beef meat and meat contact surfaces obtained from a slaughterhouse in Burdur, Turkey. In this study, a total of 179 beef meat and meat contact surface samples were analyzed for the presence of L. monocytogenes by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Out of a total of 179 beef meat and meat contact surface samples, 83 (46.37%) were found to be contaminated with L. monocytogenes, with the highest incidence (53.01%) occurring in beef meat. In the present study, most of the isolated strains belonged to serogroups IIB and IVB (lineage I). The L. monocytogenes strain also contained monoA-B, prfA, plcA, plcB, mpl, hlyA, actA, gtcA, dltA, Fri, flaA, InlA, InlC, InlJ, and iap genes. Biofilm formation was not determined in the tested samples at pH 5.5 and different temperatures (4°C, 10°C, 25°C, and 37°C). However, strong biofilm formation was observed in 6.45% (2/31) of the strains at pH 7.0 after 48 h incubation at 37°C, and in 3.22% (1/31) of the strains at pH 7.0 after 48 h incubation at 4°C and 10°C. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) results showed that L. monocytogenes isolates were clonally related, and cross-contamination was present. In addition, PFGE results also revealed that AscI had more distinguishing power than the ApaI restriction enzyme. These results indicate that L. monocytogenes detected from meat and meat contact surfaces in the slaughterhouse pose a potential risk to public health.

Microbiota associated with commercial dry-aged beef in France.

Meat dry aging consists in storing unpackaged meat in a cold room, and at a specific and controlled relative humidity (RH), for a period of 1 to 5 weeks or more. This practice has become widespread in recent years due to its positive effect on the tenderness of the meat but also on other organoleptic characteristics and therefore its market value. The objective of this work was to study the bacterial and fungal microbiota of dry-aged beef at the commercial stage by both culture-dependent and -independent approaches. Fifty-eight samples of dry-aged meat from different producer types (meat processing plants, artisanal and supermarket butchers) were studied. The dry-aging conditions (temperature, RH) of the meats, as well as the surface pH and aw, were measured. The main microbial groups were enumerated by culture on various dedicated media. Concerning fungi, isolates of yeasts and molds (n = 257) were identified after dereplication by FTIR spectroscopy and/or sequencing of taxonomically relevant genes (26S rDNA, ITS, ß-tubulin, actin). Metagenetic analyzes targeting the V3-V4 regions of 16S rDNA and ITS2 were also performed. Overall, ripening practices were diversified with temperatures and RH between 0.5 and 2.8 °C (median = 2 °C) and 47 and 88 % (median = 70 %), respectively. The aerobic colony count varied between 1.97 and 10.91 log10 CFU/g (median = 8.32 log10 CFU/g) and was similar to that of Pseudomonas spp., indicating that this bacterial group was dominant. Yeast populations varied between <2 and 9.41 log10 CFU/g, while molds showed abundances between <2 and 7.7 log10 TFU/g, the highest values being found in meats matured with a high RH. Bacterial and mold counts were positively correlated with the dry-aging RH and, to a lesser extent, temperature. The main yeast species were Candida zeylanoides and Yarrowia alimentaria as well as Itersonilia pannonica (identified only in metagenetics). The dominant mold species were psychrophilic or psychrotrophic species, namely Mucor complex flavus and Helycostylum elegans/pulchrum that have already been shown to be associated with dry-aged beef meat. This study has identified the main microorganisms associated with dry-aged meat in France, which raises the question of their role in the organoleptic quality of these higher value products.

Red and processed meat intake and risk of cardiovascular disease: A two-sample Mendelian randomization study.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Previous observational studies have yielded inconsistent findings regarding associations between red/processed meat intake and the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Some studies have suggested positive relationships, while others have demonstrated no significant associations. However, causal effects remain uncertain. This 2023 Mendelianrandomization (MR) study investigated the causal relationship between red and processed meat (porkmeat, mutton meat, beef meat)intake and CVD risk by analyzing summary data from the UK Biobank (exposure), CARDIoGRAMplusC4D (coronary artery disease [CAD]), MEGASTROKE (stroke), Nielsen et al. (atrial fibrillation [AF]), HERMES (heart failure [HF]), and FinnGen (cardiovascular outcomes) public databases. METHODS: Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of red meat (pork, beef, and mutton) and processed meat were sourced from the United Kingdom (UK) Biobank. GWAS data on CVD for this study were obtained from the Gene and FinnGen consortia. The primary method employed for the two-sample MR analysis was inverse variance weighting (IVW). Sensitivity analysis was performed to assess the reliability and consistency of the results. RESULTS: Genetically predicted red and processed meat consumption did not demonstrate a causal association with any CVD outcomes when employing the IVW method. For processed meat intake, the odds ratios (ORs) (95% confidence intervals CIs) in large consortia were as follows: 0.88 (0.56-1.39) for CAD, 0.91 (0.65-1.27) for AF, 0.84 (0.58-1.21) for HF, and 1.00 (0.75-1.05) for stroke. In FinnGen, the ORs were as follows: 1.15 (0.83-1.59) for CAD, 1.25 (0.75-2.07) for AF, 1.09 (0.73-1.64) for HF, and 1.27 (0.85-1.91) for stroke. For beef intake, the ORs (95% CIs) in large consortia were as follows: 0.70 (0.28-1.73) for CAD, 0.85 (0.49-1.49) for AF, 0.80 (0.35-1.83) for HF, and 1.29 (0.85-1.95) for stroke. In FinnGen, the ORs were as follows: 2.01 (0.75-5.39) for CAD, 1.83 (0.60-5.56) for AF, 0.80 (0.30-2.13) for HF, and 1.30 (0.62-2.73) for stroke. For pork intake, the ORs (95% CIs) in large consortia were as follows: 1.25 (0.37-4.22) for CAD, 1.26 (0.73-2.15) for AF, 1.71 (0.86-3.39) for HF, and 1.15 (0.63-2.11) for stroke. In FinnGen, the ORs were as follows: 1.12 (0.43-2.88) for CAD, 0.39 (0.08-1.83) for AF, 0.62 (0.20-1.88) for HF, and 0.60 (0.21-1.65) for stroke. For mutton intake, the ORs (95% CIs) in large consortia were as follows: 0.84 (0.48-1.44) for CAD, 0.84 (0.56-1.26) for AF, 1.04 (0.65-1.67) for HF, and 1.06 (0.77-1.45) for stroke. In FinnGen, the ORs were as follows: 1.20 (0.65-2.21) for CAD, 0.92 (0.44-1.92) for AF, 0.74 (0.34-1.58) for HF, and 0.75 (0.45-1.24) for stroke. The results remained robust and consistent in both the meta-analysis and supplementary MR analysis. CONCLUSIONS: This MR study demonstrated no significant causal relationships between red/processed meat intake and the risk of the four CVD outcomes examined. Further investigation is warranted to confirm these findings.

Minced Beef Meat Paste Characteristics: Gel Properties, Water Distribution, and Microstructures Regulated by Medium Molecular Mass of γ-Poly-Glutamic Acid.

The influences of various m-γ-PGA (0.08-0.20%, w/w) concentrations on the properties of minced beef meat paste in terms of rheological properties, texture, moisture distribution, and microstructures were evaluated. The results indicated that m-γ-PGA enhanced the water-holding capacity, gel strength, texture, and whiteness of the minced beef meat paste. Based on the microstructural results, m-γ-PGA helped form a more organized and compact gel, thereby limiting the migration of water through the gel matrix. In contrast to the control group, the water-holding property, gel strength, and whiteness of minced meat paste gels with m-γ-PGA content of 0.12% increased from 75.89%, 584.51 g·cm, and 61.83 to 79.91%, 780.87 g·cm, and 62.54, respectively (p < 0.05), exhibiting the highest water-holding property and gel strength. Thus, m-γ-PGA exhibits great potential for minced meat paste products as a healthy gel water retainer and enhancer in low-fat meat products.

Untargeted metabolomics using liquid chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry and chemometrics for analysis of non-halal meats adulteration in beef meat.

OBJECTIVE: The adulteration of raw beef (BMr) with dog meat (DMr) and pork (PMr) becomes a serious problem because it is associated with halal status, quality, and safety of meats. This research aimed to develop an effective authentication method to detect non-halal meats (dog meat and pork) in beef using metabolomics approach. METHODS: Liquid chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry (LC-HRMS) using untargeted approach combined with chemometrics was applied for analysis non-halal meats in BMr. RESULTS: The untargeted metabolomics approach successfully identified various metabolites in BMr DMr, PMr, and their mixtures. The discrimination and classification between authentic BMr and those adulterated with DMr and PMr were successfully determined using partial least square-discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) with high accuracy. All BMr samples containing non-halal meats could be differentiated from authentic BMr. A number of discriminating metabolites with potential as biomarkers to discriminate BMr in the mixtures with DMr and PMr could be identified from the analysis of variable importance for projection value. Partial least square (PLS) and orthogonal PLS (OPLS) regression using discriminating metabolites showed high accuracy (R2>0.990) and high precision (both RMSEC and RMSEE <5%) in predicting the concentration of DMr and PMr present in beef indicating that the discriminating metabolites were good predictors. The developed untargeted LC-HRMS metabolomics and chemometrics successfully identified non-halal meats adulteration (DMr and PMr) in beef with high sensitivity up to 0.1% (w/w). CONCLUSION: A combination of LC-HRMS untargeted metabolomic and chemometrics promises to be an effective analytical technique for halal authenticity testing of meats. This method could be further standardized and proposed as a method for halal authentication of meats.

Images dataset of beef meat samples with different shelf life.

Three different cuts of meat samples: inside skirt, knuckles, and sirloin were picture captioned on the first and fifth day after purchase. From each type of meat cut, ten pictures were taken at the beginning and the end of the studied shelf life, obtaining 60 different images. The images were taken under control variables in a black acrylic cabin. In addition to the original images, we proportionate another set of 60 processed images. The latter were obtained after color calibration and meat segmentation. All these images could be used for future experiments where the color in meat should be analyzed.

Biopreservative Effect of the Tunisian Halophyte Lobularia maritima Flavonoid Fraction, Used Alone and in Combination with Linalool in Stored Minced Beef Meat.

In the present study, Lobularia maritima (Lm) flavonoid extract (LmFV) was characterized by HPLC analyses and five compounds were detected. Further, to describe the chemical content of the matrix, GC-MS analyses after silylation were performed; the obtained results showed the presence of a large number of components belonging to several chemical classes, mostly sugar alcohols, sugars, fatty acids, and terpenes. Firstly, the antibacterial activities of this fraction and linalool (Lin) were evaluated against eight foodborne pathogenic strains with MIC values between 2.3 and 5.8 mg/mL and 0.23 and 0.7 mg/mL, respectively. Then, the antioxidant activity of both was evaluated by the DPPH antiradical test and the phosphomolybdenum test. Furthermore, the biopreservative effect of LmFV alone and in combination with Lin on minced beef stored at 4 °C for 14 days was evaluated using microbiological and physiochemical tests. LmFV at 4.6% alone significantly reduced microbial spoilage in ground meat (p < 0.05). The combination of LmFV (4.6%) and Lin (0.46%) was more effective than LmFV alone in inhibiting bacterial contamination, reducing TBARS values and the risk of bacterial contamination, and reducing the accumulation of Met myoglobin (MetMb). This combination, therefore, extends the shelf life of the product by about 10 days. Based on these microbiological results and physicochemical parameters, it can be stated that the addition of Lin potentiates the flavonoid fraction of L. maritima more strongly against the deterioration of meat quality by significantly improving its biopreservative effect as a natural conservative.

Classification of Common Food Lipid Sources Regarding Healthiness Using Advanced Lipidomics: A Four-Arm Crossover Study.

Prospective studies have failed to establish a causal relationship between animal fat intake and cardiovascular diseases in humans. Furthermore, the metabolic effects of different dietary sources remain unknown. In this four-arm crossover study, we investigated the impact of consuming cheese, beef, and pork meat on classic and new cardiovascular risk markers (obtained from lipidomics) in the context of a healthy diet. A total of 33 young healthy volunteers (23 women/10 men) were assigned to one out of four test diets in a Latin square design. Each test diet was consumed for 14 days, with a 2-week washout. Participants received a healthy diet plus Gouda- or Goutaler-type cheeses, pork, or beef meats. Before and after each diet, fasting blood samples were withdrawn. A reduction in total cholesterol and an increase in high density lipoprotein particle size were detected after all diets. Only the pork diet upregulated plasma unsaturated fatty acids and downregulated triglycerides species. Improvements in the lipoprotein profile and upregulation of circulating plasmalogen species were also observed after the pork diet. Our study suggests that, within the context of a healthy diet rich in micronutrients and fiber, the consumption of animal products, in particular pork meat, may not induce deleterious effects, and reducing the intake of animal products should not be regarded as a way of reducing cardiovascular risk in young individuals.

Environmental advantages of coproducing beef meat in dairy systems.

Beef meat, one of the more environmentally costly animal-based foods, can be produced in two general ways, as the main product on specialised farms or as a co-product on dairy farms. In this study, two cases (a semi-confinement dairy farm (A) and a pasture-based dairy farm (B)) have been analysed by means of LCA to evaluate the environmental impacts associated with the coproduction of beef meat. In both cases, purchased feed production was found to be the main cause of environmental impacts in most of the categories considered. Additionally, cow emissions to air were the main contributor for the global warming category. Comparing the two dairy systems, notably lower environmental impacts were obtained for B in 13 of the 18 categories analysed. Regarding CF, 8.10 and 8.88 kg CO2eq/kg LW were obtained for A and B, respectively. These CF values were within the wide range found in the literature for beef meat (1.2-42.6 kg CO2eq/kg LW). Beef calves and cull cows are an important output of dairy farming, so that coproduction enables milk and meat with lower CF and associated environmental impacts to be obtained. In addition, the variability of the data found in literature and the lack of LCA studies based on real data for beef meat coproduced on dairy farms evidence the importance of in-depth study of this interesting topic.

Effect of Traditional Cooking and Sous Vide Heat Treatment, Cold Storage Time and Muscle on Physicochemical and Sensory Properties of Beef Meat.

Consumers are avoiding the consumption of highly processed foods, aware of the negative effects of the additives or high temperatures used on the biological value of the food. This causes an interest in ways of minimal processing or low-temperature cooking procedures. However, to achieve the desired organoleptic quality, it is necessary to know the relationship between the parameters of the treatments and the type of raw material. The purpose of this study was to investigate the complex effects of traditional cooking and sous vide heat treatment, cold storage time and muscle on the physicochemical and sensory properties of beef. The study material consisted of samples of musculus longissimus thoracis and musculus semitendinosus obtained from beef half-carcasses. The muscles were subjected to traditional cooking in water at 95 °C until the temperature inside the piece reached 65 °C and sous vide treatment at 65 °C for 2 h. The study was performed after 2 and 21 days of cold storage. Instrumental evaluation of texture parameters, color and sensory evaluation of meat was carried out. Meat stored for 21 days was characterized by more favorable TPA test (Texture Profile Analysis) results compared to meat evaluated 48 h post mortem. The study also showed positive effects of sous vide heat treatment on texture parameters and sensory properties (especially on tenderness and palatability), as well as differences in the formation of quality traits between muscles. Given the trends associated with energy-saving technologies, it is desirable to seek the optimal combination of temperature and time of fixation treatments at an acceptable level of quality. The use of low-temperature cooking for as little as 2 h, yields positive results in sensory evaluation of juiciness, tenderness, or palatability.

Novel Active Food Packaging Films Based on Gelatin-Sodium Alginate Containing Beetroot Peel Extract.

Currently, the exploration of natural colorants from vegetal waste has gained particular attention. Furthermore, incorporation of these natural sources into biopolymers is an encouraging environmentally friendly approach to establishing active films with biological activities for food packaging. The present study developed bioactive antioxidant films based on gelatin-sodium alginate (NaAlg) incorporated with aqueous beetroot peel extract (BPE). Firstly, the effects of combining gelatin-NaAlg and BPE at 0.25, 0.5, and 1% on the mechanical, physical, antioxidant, and antibacterial properties of the films were analyzed. With increasing BPE, mechanico-physical properties and antioxidant and anti-foodborne pathogen capacities were enhanced. Likewise, when added to gelatin-NaAlg films, BPE remarkably increased the instrumental color properties. Moreover, during 14 days of storage at 4 °C, the impact of gelatin-NaAlg coating impregnated with BPE on microbial and chemical oxidation and on the sensory characteristics of beef meat samples was periodically assessed. Interestingly, by the end of the storage, BPE at 1% limited the microbial deterioration, enhanced the instrumental color, delayed chemical oxidation, and improved sensory traits. By practicing chemometrics tools (principal component analysis and heat maps), all data provided valuable information for categorizing all samples regarding microbiological and oxidative properties, sensory features, and instrumental color. Our findings revealed the ability of gelatin-NaAlg with BPE as an antioxidant to be employed as food packaging for meat preservation.

Fate of Sulfonamides and Tetracyclines in Meat during Pan Cooking: Focus on the Thermodegradation of Sulfamethoxazole.

Although antimicrobials are generally found in trace amounts in meat, the human health risk they bear cannot be ignored. With the ultimate aim of making a better assessment of consumer exposure, this study explored the effects of pan cooking on sulfonamides and tetracyclines in meat. Screening of these antimicrobials in cooked meat was first performed by the European Union Reference Laboratory on the basis of HPLC-MS/MS analyses. A proof of concept approach using radiolabeling was then carried out on the most cooking-sensitive antimicrobial-sulfamethoxazole-to assess if a thermal degradation could explain the observed cooking losses. Degradation products were detected thanks to separation by HPLC and monitoring by online radioactivity detection. HPLC-Orbitrap HRMS analyses completed by 1D and 2D NMR experiments allowed the structural characterization of these degradation compounds. This study revealed that cooking could induce significant antimicrobial losses of up to 45% for sulfamethoxazole. Six potential degradation products of 14C-sulfamethoxazole were detected in cooked meat, and a thermal degradation pattern was proposed. This study highlights the importance of considering the cooking step in chemical risk assessment procedures and its impact on the level of chemical contaminants in meat and on the formation of potentially toxic breakdown compounds.

Visualized detection of quality change of cooked beef with condiments by hyperspectral imaging technique.

The heat treatment and seasoning of meat are indispensable before its consumption. In this work, the spectral characteristics of cooked meat and condiments were analysed by hyperspectral imaging (HSI) technology. The spectral reflectance of spices was significantly lower than that of meat protein, and that the spectral reflectance of protein regularly increased upon heating at 800-956 nm range. PCA pre-process and SVM models were used to predict beef moisture (R 2 = 0.912) and tenderness (R 2 = 0.771) based on 100 beef data. Mapping technology clearly showed the dynamic change of meat tenderness during heating, and the performance of 3D mapping was better than that of 2D mapping. Based on 750 nm/900 nm ratio image and machine-vision method, spice uniformity was accurately calculated. Thus, the quality of cooked meat and condiments distribution can be simultaneously evaluated by HSI. This technology can be used in the intelligent production of complex meat products in the future.

The Effects of High-Pressure Processing on pH, Thiobarbituric Acid Value, Color and Texture Properties of Frozen and Unfrozen Beef Mince.

In this study, beef mince (approximately 4% fat longissmus costarum muscle of approximately 2-year-old Holstein cattle) was used as a material. High-pressure processing (HPP) was applied to frozen and unfrozen, vacuum-packed minced meat samples. The pH and thiobarbituric acid (TBA) values of the samples were examined during 45 days of storage. Color values (L*, a* and b*) and texture properties were examined during 30 days of storage. After freezing and HPP (350 MPa, 10 min, 10 °C), the pH value of minced meat increased (p > 0.05) and its TBA value decreased (p < 0.05). The increase in pH may be due to increased ionization during HPP. Some meat peptides, which are considered antioxidant compounds, increased the oxidative stability of meat, so a decrease in TBA may have been observed after freezing and HPP. While the color change in unpressurized samples was a maximum of 3.28 units during storage, in the pressurized sample, it exceeded the limit of 10 units on the first day of storage and exceeded the limit of 10 units on the third day of storage in the frozen and pressurized sample. Freezing and HPP caused the color of beef mince to be retained longer. The hardness, gumminess, chewability, adherence, elasticity, flexibility values of the pressurized and pressurized after freezing samples were higher than those of the unpressurized samples during storage. On the other hand, the opposite was the case for the adhesiveness values. In industrial applications, meat must be pressurized after being vacuum packed. If HPP is applied to frozen beef mince, some of its properties such as TBA, color, and texture can be preserved for a longer period of time without extreme change.

Olive oil oleogels as strategy to confer nutritional advantages to burgers.

The effect of bovine back fat replacement by oleogels containing pork skin and olive oil on the oxidative stability, physicochemical, technological, nutritional, and sensory parameters of burgers was evaluated. Four different hamburger (H) were manufactured: with 90 % of lean beef and 10 % of bovine back fat (control, HC), or with 10 % of pork skin/water/virgin olive oil (HVOO), stripped olive oil added of an olive leaf extract (HESOO) or stripped olive oil (HSOO) oleogels, at 20:60:20 ratio. Physical-chemical stability was assessed after storage for 7 days at 4 °C and for 90 days at -20 °C, under non-vacuum and vacuum packaging. A reduction in the fat content by 80 % and in the energy content by 35 %, an increase in the protein content by 15 % and a better fatty acid profile were achieved in the oleogel containing burgers. After processing at 180 °C (grill), hardness, chewiness, sensory parameters and overall acceptability were high and comparable to control. All burgers were oxidative stable during 7 days at 4 °C. After storage for 90 days at -20 °C, only HSOO samples stored under non-vacuum packaging were oxidized. The antioxidant content in samples HVOO and HESOO efficiently prevented the oxidation of these samples.

Effect of Diet and Essential Oils on the Fatty Acid Composition, Oxidative Stability and Microbiological Profile of Marchigiana Burgers.

The objective of this study is to evaluate the effects of including linseed (L) or linseed plus vitamin E (LE) in the diet of Marchigiana young bulls on the oxidative stability, color measurements, microbiological profile and fatty acid composition (FA) of burgers treated with and without a blend of essential oils (Rosmarinus officinalis and Origanum vulgare var. hirtum) (EOs). For this aim, the burgers were analysed for pH, thiobarbituric-acid-reactive substance (TBARS) content, Ferric Reducing/Antioxidant Power Assay (FRAP), vitamin E and colour measurements (L, a*, b) at 3, 6, 9, 12 days of storage: the TBARs were the highest in group L compared to C and LE after 12 days of storage (0.98, 0.73, and 0.63 mg MDA/kg, respectively). The TBARS content was also influenced by the use of EO compared to burgers not treated with EO (p < 0.05). The vitamin E content was influenced by the diet (p < 0.01), but not by the EO. The meat of the L group showed the lowest value of redness (a*) compared to C and LE (p < 0.01), while the use of EO did not affect colour parameters. The microbiological profile of the burgers showed a lower Pseudomonas count for L and LE at T0 (2.82 ± 0.30 and 2.30 ± 0.52 Log CFU/g, respectively) compared to C (3.90 ± 0.38 Log CFU/g), while the EO did not influence the microbiological profile. The FA composition was analysed at 0 and 12 days. The burgers from the LE group showed the highest value of polyunsaturated FA compared to the L and C groups (p < 0.05). Our findings suggest that the inclusion of vitamin E in a concentrate rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids is useful to limit intramuscular fat oxidation and to preserve the colour stability of burgers from young Marchigiana bulls enriched with healthy fatty acids. Moreover, linseed and vitamin E had a positive effect on microbial loads and growth dynamics, containing microbial development through time.

Application of bacteriophages EP75 and EP335 efficiently reduces viable cell counts of Escherichia coli O157 on beef and vegetables.

Shiga toxin producing Escherichia coli (STEC) are common etiological agents of food borne illnesses and outbreaks, most often caused by consuming contaminated beef products, followed by raw vegetables and dairy products. Patients infected with E. coli O157 are more likely hospitalized than patients infected with non-O157 STEC, making E. coli O157 an important target for microbiological interventions. We show that a cocktail of bacteriophages EP75 and EP335 effectively reduces E. coli O157 on beef, romaine lettuce, spinach, and zucchini. Treatment of contaminated beef with either 2 × 107 or 1 × 108 PFU/cm2 of bacteriophage cocktail EP75/EP335 resulted in reductions of 0.8-1.1 log10 CFU/cm2 and 0.9-1.3 log10 CFU/cm2, respectively (P < 0.0001). Similarly, bacteriophage treatments of contaminated romaine lettuce, zucchini, or spinach showed significant (P < 0.05) E. coli O157 reductions of 0.7-1.9 log10 CFU/cm2 (2 × 107 PFU/cm2), and 1.4-2.4 log10 CFU/cm2 (1 × 108 PFU/cm2). An E. coli O157 reduction of 0.9 log10 and 2.0 log10 was observed already 30 min after phage application of 1 × 108 PFU/cm2 on beef and romaine lettuce, respectively. These data show that bacteriophages EP75 and EP335 can be effectively used as a processing aid on beef and vegetables, and thereby can aid industry to reduce the risk of E. coli O157 food poisoning.

Nutrient-Optimized Beef Enhances Blood Levels of Vitamin D and Selenium among Young Women.

Bovine meat provides healthy nutrients but has also been negatively linked to greenhouse gases and non-communicable diseases. A double-blind intervention study was carried out to compare beef meat from bulls fed with feed supplemented with selenium, vitamin D, E, K (SeDEK-feed), and n-3, or REGULAR feed. Thirty-four young healthy women (19-29 years old) consumed 300 g of these beef types per day for 6 days in a cross-over design. Diet registrations, blood samples, anthropometric measurements, and clinical data were collected four times. Both beef diets were higher than their habitual diet in protein, fat, saturated fat, and several micronutrients; contained more vegetables and fewer carbohydrates and were followed by a higher feeling of satiety. The SeDEK beef had higher amounts of selenium, vitamin 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 (25(OH)D3), E, and K (MK4), and increased serum selenium and 25(OH)D3 from the participants' normal values if they were below 85 µg/L of selenium and 30 nmol of 25(OH)D3/L, respectively. Our study showed that optimized beef increased serum selenium in young women having moderate selenium levels and improved blood 25(OH)D3 in a woman having low to normal 25(OH)D3. Meat should be optimized to increase specific consumer groups' needs for selenium and vitamin D.

Insight into the effect of frozen storage on the changes in volatile aldehydes and alcohols of marinated roasted beef meat: Potential mechanisms of their formation.

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of frozen storage on the changes in volatile aldehydes (VAs), volatile alcohols (VCs), lipid oxidation, and fatty acid composition of marinated roasted beef meat. Thirty VAs and VCs were identified in all meat samples by using headspace solid-phase microextraction-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The total concentrations of VAs increased with storage periods up to four months and gradually decreased. Whereas the total concentrations of VCs decreased with prolonged storage periods. The contents of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances and hexanal increased with prolonged storage periods in all samples until four months and then gradually decreased except the hexanal contents in the control sample (BS1), which showed an increase up to six months. Saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids decreased after storage in all samples except the control. By contrast, polyunsaturated fatty acids increased with prolonged storage in all samples. The correlation analysis showed the positive correlation of flavor compounds with fatty acids, E-nose, and sensory notes.