QUALITY CHARACTERISTICS OF RESTRUCTURED BEEF STEAKS MANUFACTURED BY VARIOUS TECHNIQUES

Beef (9-11% fat) was restructured with each of six mechanical treatmen ts including chunking, fiberizing, slicing, chunking + slicing, slicin g + water, and tenderizing each in combination with addition of 0.5% s odium chloride (salt)/0.5% phosphate, 0.5% Na-alginate/0.5% Ca-lactate , 0.5% Na-pectate/0.5% Ca-lactate, or no additives (control). Beef ste aks restructured with salt/phosphate had lower (P<0.05) purge losses, higher binding force and bind scores than control products. Steaks res tructured with Na-alginate/Ca-lactate had lower cooking losses and hig her bind scores than controls. Use of Na-pectate/Ca-lactate did not im prove (P>0.05) purge loss, cooking loss, binding force or sensory prop erties. Chunked meat or mixtures of chunked and sliced meats in combin ation with salt/phosphate or Na-alginate/Ca-lactate resulted in steaks with acceptable bind and textural properties.