Comparative analysis of traditional preservatives for raw beef

Abstract

Butchers in developing countries face the challenge of finding affordable disinfectants for their products which are not associated with adverse impacts on quality and shelf life. As an affordable option, traditional disinfectants, vinegar, and NaCl solutions have been renowned since ancient times, which led this study to focus on assessing the nutritional and sensory quality of raw beef treated with conventional disinfectants during processing. In a completely randomized study design, the fresh raw beef samples were split into three treatments: T1 as control (water), T2 (vinegar), and T3 (0.9% NaCl solution), and their effects on nutritional and sensory quality (color, appearance, aroma, and texture) were studied. It was found that there was a decrease in the value of moisture content, crude protein, and ether extract (p<0.001) associated with the incorporation of vinegar, whereas the dry matter and ash content (p<0.001) increased. On the other hand, apart from moisture, the other parameter seemed to decrease with the infusion of salt. With more storage time, the pH and dry matter content both considerably dropped (p<0.001), and a significant (p<0.001) color change was seen. A significant association (p<0.05) was found between drip loss and cooking loss after 24 hours. In conclusion, a certain level of vinegar can be used in beef preservation for better nutritional and textural properties.