Flavor and Oxidative Stability of Ground Beef Patties as Affected by Source and Storage

Chuck muscles and fat from silage plus grain- and forage-fed steers were stored 7 days at 4-degrees-C before patty manufacture or processed into patties and stored at 4-degrees-C or -32-degrees-C. The thiobarbituric acid values were constant from 0 to 4 days for frozen patties but decreased (P < 0.05) for refrigerated patties. Evaluated by an 11-member trained sensory panel, frozen patties had lower (P < 0.05) rancid flavor intensity than refrigerated patties; rancid flavor increased from 0 to 2 or 4 days storage in refrigerated patties. Frozen patties from silage plus grain-fed steers had higher (P < 0.05) beefy flavor intensity scores than those from forage beef. However, diet source had no effect (P > 0.05) on refrigerated patties.