Extending the shelf-life of beef steaks using acerola cherry powder and rosemary extract

Improvements in retail shelf-life of exported beef will help with merchandising and increase competitiveness in the worldwide market for US beef products. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of topically applying acerola cherry powder or rosemary extract from various suppliers on beef bone-in short rib steak and chuck roll steak shelf-life. USDA Choice beef bone-in short ribs (IMPS 123A) and chuck rolls (IMPS 116A) were aged (0°C) for 28 d post-fabrication. Following aging, 1.02 cm-thick steaks were cut (N = 126) and systematically assigned to a treatment based on steak location within the subprimal. Treatments included: untreated control (C), topically sprayed (2ml) with an acerola cherry powder solution (0.05%) from one of three suppliers (C1, C2, C3), or topically sprayed (2ml) with a rosemary extract solution (0.10%) from one of three suppliers (R1, R2, R3). Half of the steaks were assigned to d 0 lipid oxidation, metmyoglobin reducing activity (MRA), and oxygen consumption; the remaining steaks were assigned to color evaluation over 4 days of retail display followed by d 4 lipid oxidation and MRA. Short rib steaks treated with antioxidants had a brighter oxygenated lean color than control steaks (P < 0.001). There was an interaction (P = 0.028) between time of retail display and MRA. Short rib steaks treated with C3 and R2 did not change in MRA between d 0 and 4 (P = 0.620, P = 0.428, respectively). Chuck roll steaks treated with C1, C2, C3, R2, and R3, all had a higher, or more desirable, MRA than the control steaks on d 0 (P < 0.001). Applying topical antioxidants improves the shelf-life stability of steaks from beef bone-in short ribs and chuck rolls aged for an extended period.