Formulating Healthier Beef Patties

October 27/College Station, Texas/Investment Weekly News -- According to recent research from the U.S., "Beef patties formulated to contain beef fat, plant oil and a rosemary extract to increase unsaturated fatty acid content and maintain desirable sensory attributes were compared to control beef patties formulated without plant oils. Treatment patties were formulated to a fat content of 10% or 20% by combining beef trimmings (6% fat) with 4% or 14% addition of a lipid blend."

"Blends contained 57% beef tallow, 0.3% rosemary extract, and 43% of high oleic safflower oil (SO), olive oil (OO), or corn oil (CO). Lipid oxidation, as measured by TBA values, of treatment patties were similar to control patties after 0 and 3 days of refrigerated (2 degrees C) storage and up to 56 d of frozen (-10 degrees C) storage. Cooked lipid blend patties having a fat content of 10% or 20% were similar to or higher than control patties for juiciness and were no different for other sensory attributes evaluated. At fat levels of 10% or 20%, oleic acid (18: 1) in cooked SO patties (46.1% and 50.3%, respectively) and OO patties (43.8% and 48.1%, respectively) was higher than the control (37.3% and 37.6%, respectively). Unsaturated to saturated fatty acid ratios at the 10% or 20% fat levels were higher in SO (1.37 and 1.60, respectively) and CO (1.40 and 1.48, respectively) patties than the control (0.97 and 0.94, respectively). Beef patties manufactured with varying lipid blends increased unsaturated fatty acid content and were similar in physical characteristics and sensory attributes of all beef patties formulated without lipid blends. Practical Application The development of healthier beef products that will be more appealing to consumers has long been an industry goal. The authors believe that lipid blends such as the one used in this study could be used to create such products, not only in the form of beef patties, but any number of processed meat products. Because the materials and equipment used to create the lipid blends in this study are widely available, their incorporation into meat products would represent a small capital investment," wrote A.C. Lowder and colleagues, Texas A&M University.

The researchers concluded, "This is an important factor in bringing a reasonably priced, healthier product to consumers."

Lowder and colleagues published their study in the Journal of Food Science ("Inclusion of Blended Lipid Solutions as Functional Ingredients to Alter the Fatty Acid Profile of Beef Patties." Journal of Food Science, 2010;75(7):S355-S364).

For additional information, contact W.N. Osburn, Texas A&M University, Dept. of Animal Science, Kleberg Center 338, College Station, TX 77843.

From the November 1, 2010, Prepared Foods' Daily News
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