FOODSERVICE INDUSTRY MARKET PROFILE STUDY - NUTRITIONAL AND OBJECTIVETEXTURAL PROFILE OF FOODSERVICE GROUND-BEEF

Ground beef patties of three types (regular, lean, extra-lean) destine d for the foodservice industry were collected from foodservice purveyo rs in 12 cities equally distributed across six geographical regions of the United States to assess nutritional and objective texture charact eristics. Patties were cooked on a foodservice-style clamshell grill t o a well (approximate to 80 degrees C) degree of doneness (internal te mperature) for nutritional analysis and objective texture e measuremen ts. Single 5.08-cm(2) samples were removed from the center of each pat ty and sheared with a multiple-blade Allo-Kramer shearing device. Nutr itional composition, including proximate analysis values and fatty aci d profiles, was determined on both raw and cooked samples of the groun d beef. Extra-lean ground beef contained the least (P < .05) fat (12.4 3%), lean had an intermediate level (17.45%), and regular ground beef contained the most fat (P < .05) (20.20%), on a raw basis. However, af ter cooking, fat content was similar (P > .05) for regular and lean gr ound beef. Fatty acid composition of lipid and cholesterol content of ground beef did not differ (P > .05) across types of ground beef or be tween raw and cooked samples and was similar to USDA Handbook 8-13 val ues. Cooking loss decreased (P < .05) as fat percentages decreased. Re gular and lean ground beef was easier (P < .05) to shear (4.20 and 4.2 4 kg/g of sample, respectively) than extra-lean ground beef (5.08 kg/g of sample). On average, foodservice ground beef sampled in the presen t study is 15.5% leaner than retail ground beef as presented in the Na tional Beef Market Basket Survey and 22.2% leaner than USDA Handbook 8 -13 values.