Extending the Shelf Life of Beef Steaks Using Acerola Cherry Powder and Rosemary Extract

Improvements in retail shelf life of exported beef will help with merchandising and increase competitiveness in the worldwide market for United States beef products. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of topically applying acerola cherry powder or rosemary extract from various suppliers on beef bone-in short rib steak and chuck roll steak shelf life. USDA Choice beef bone-in short ribs (IMPS 123A) and chuck rolls (IMPS 116A) were aged (0°C) for 28 d postfabrication. Following aging, 1.02-cm-thick steaks were cut (N = 126) and systematically assigned to a treatment based on steak location within the subprimal. Treatments included untreated control (C), topically sprayed (2 mL) with an acerola cherry powder solution (0.05%) from 1 of 3 suppliers (C1, C2, C3), or topically sprayed (2 mL) with a rosemary extract solution (0.10%) from 1 of 3 suppliers (R1, R2, R3). Half of the steaks were assigned to day 0 lipid oxidation, metmyoglobin-reducing activity (MRA), and oxygen consumption; the remaining steaks were assigned to color evaluation over 4 d of retail display followed by day 4 lipid oxidation and MRA. Short rib steaks treated with antioxidants had a brighter oxygenated lean color than control steaks (P < 0.001). There was an interaction (P = 0.028) between time of retail display and MRA. Short rib steaks treated with C3 and R2 did not change in MRA between day 0 and 4 (P = 0.620, P = 0.428, respectively). Chuck roll steaks treated with C1, C2, C3, R2, and R3 all had a higher, or more desirable, MRA than the control steaks on day 0 (P < 0.001). Applying topical antioxidants improves the shelf-life stability of steaks from beef bone-in short ribs and chuck rolls aged for an extended period.