The impact of storage temperature on water holding has been studied for several decades, and previous research has indicated that storage temperature can impact beef color stability and water capacity ultimately impacting product yield and consumer appeal (Hertog-Meischke et al., 1998; Jeremiah and Gibson, 2001). An estimated 2.55% of beef in retail stores is discarded due to discoloration resulting in approximately $3.73 billion in lost revenue for the beef industry annually (Ramanathan et al., 2022). Thus, it is imperative that cold storage of meat products is optimized for meat quality. However, one area of cold storage that is relatively unstudied is during the transport of products from source plants to distribution centers. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to (1) determine the influence of transportation temperature on purge loss of subprimal striploins and subprimal center-cut top sirloin butts; and (2) determine the influence of transportation temperature on moisture loss, color stability, and tenderness of fabricated striploin steaks and top sirloin steaks.
This study utilized commodity choice beef strip loins and top sirloin butts obtained directly from a source plant in Northeast Nebraska. Twenty-four cases of each subprimal were divided evenly between two refrigerated trucks set to hold at 28°F or 38°F. The trucks then transported the product 600 miles over the course of 12 hours prior to storing the palletized meat in a cooler set to hold at 34°F to mimic product transport to a case-ready facility. After nine days, the product was subset with one subprimal from the center of each box used for subprimal purge loss evaluation and to be fabricated into eight one-inch thick steaks. The steaks were divided into treatments of 28°F or 38°F truck temperature for a second transport, aging duration of 0 or 5 days of a shelf life evaluation conducted after the second transport, and refrigerated or frozen storage conditions. The steaks were then allocated onto refrigerated trucks for the second transport at the two temperatures. The second transport covered 640 miles over a 12 hour period. The steaks were then returned to the previously described holding cooler for another ten days to mimic transport and storage at a distribution facility. Steaks were then handled according to their previously assigned treatments (day 0 of case life and refrigerated storage, day 0 of case life and frozen storage, day 5 of case life and refrigerated storage, and day 5 of case life and frozen storage). Day 0 refrigerated storage steaks were immediately evaluated for purge loss and cooked to evaluate Warner-Bratzler shear force (WBSF) and cook loss. Day 5 refrigerated storage steaks were placed in a simulated retail setting under fluorescent lighting and instrumental color was evaluated until day 5 before purge loss, cook loss, and WBSF evaluation. Day 0 and day 5 frozen storage steaks were frozen at the appropriate time for evaluation of WBSF and cook loss at a later date.