Composition and retention of lipid nutrients in cooked ground beef relative to heat-transfer rates

This study documents the effects of different heat transfer kinetics on lip id nutrient composition in regular ground beef patties cooked using high (H HT) and low (LHT) heat transfer frying surfaces. Rate of heating from fryin g surfaces to ground beef patties was measured using iron-constantan thermo couples and related to the retention of beef pattie color, texture, total c rude lipid content, fatty acid and cholesterol composition. Ground beef pat ties cooked for 1, 3 and 6 min using an HHT frying surface reached a higher (P less than or equal to 0.05) internal temperature than on the LHT frying surface. This observation was associated with higher (P less than or equal to 0.05) cook value and cook loss, and greater (P less than or equal to 0. 05) shear force, L* color value and AE values. The fatty acid composition o f the HHT cooked patties reflected a greater (P less than or equal to 0.05) loss in monounsaturated fatty acids, than with patties cooked on the LHT s urface. The two frying methods produced little effect on beef a* and b* col or values, total crude lipid, or polyunsaturated fatty acid content. Choles terol content of HHT patties was reduced (P less than or equal to 0.05) rel ative to both uncooked patties and patties cooked with a LHT surface. These results indicate that heat conductivity of the cooking surface has an impa ct on the lipid composition of cooked ground beef patties. (C) 2001 Elsevie r Science Ltd. All rights reserved.