EFFECT OF COMMINUTION METHOD AND RAW BINDER SYSTEM IN RESTRUCTURED REEF

The effect of particle size, method of particle size reduction (grindi ng, flaking, slicing) and alginate or Fibrimex(TM) binding systems on processing properties of restructured beef were investigated. The size of semimembranosus muscles was reduced with a meat slicer, grinder or flaker (Comitrol) through machine openings that were 2, 4 and 8 mm in size. Bind of meat pieces in raw and cooked beef steakettes were meas ured. Sensory evaluation to determine the effect of method of size red uction on texture of beef steakettes was done only on steakettes manuf actured with alginate. Beef steakettes manufactured with the alginate binding system had significantly (p < 0.05) higher raw bind values tha n did the beef steakettes manufactured with Fibrimex. Slicing meat for the manufacture of restructured beef steakettes resulted in a higher raw bind than did either grinding or flaking the meat. Significant (p < 0.05) interactions were observed for the bind of cooked steakettes b etween binder and method of size reduction and binder and opening size . When alginates were used to make restructured steakettes the bind of the cooked product was less (p < 0.05) when meat was sliced than when it was ground or flaked. However, when Fibrimex was used, bind was st ronger when sliced meat was used. The alginate system resulted in high er binds for cooked product when particle size was smaller but with th e Fibrimex system bind was higher when particle sizes were larger. A c onsumer panel on alginate restructured steakettes showed no preference for the texture produced by the different methods of particle size re duction. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.