Evaluation of prerigor beef burger 2. Effects of acidification and freezing rate

Abstract

The study was conducted to evaluate the combined effects of rigor state, acidification and 
freezing rate on quality attributes of beef burger. Prerigor beef round muscles were excised from 
four beef carcasses within two hours from Exsanguination. The treatments included hot 
processed burger, acidified hot processed burger, using 1% citric acid solution and 48 hours post 
rigor beef burger. The treatment samples were stored at —18°C for 7 days after being frozen at 
two different rates —18°C (slow) and — 40°C (fast). The measurements included pH, cooking 
loss, water index, moisture content, colour and sensory evaluation. The results indicate that the 
acidified prerigor beef gave burger as tender as the 48 hrs post rigor beef, and was the most juicy 
irrespective of the freezing temperature. The burgers prepared from the prerigor beef were the 
lowest in tenderness, juiciness and yield, and were not significantly affected by the freezing rate. 
Generally, freezing at — 40 °C improved the colour of the burgers in all the treatments. The 
acidified prerigor beef was equivalent to the 48 hrs post rigor beef burger in water index and had 
the highest moisture content when frozen at — 40°C . The results demonstrate that quality 
attributes of prerigor beef burger could be improved by acidification and fast freezing.