Effects of Different Drying Methods on Quality Traits of Hanwoo Beef Jerky from Low-Valued Cuts during Storage

Abstract

To determine the effects of various drying methods on the quality characteristics of beef jerky from low-valued cuts, Hanwoo beef shank muscles were either hot air-dried, shade-dried, or sun-dried. The physicochemical quality and microbiological safety of the Hanwoo beef jerky were analyzed during a storage of 25 o C. Moisture content and water activity (a w ) of the samples decreased as the time period of storage increased, regardless of the drying condition (p<0.05). Shade-dried jerky showed higher a w compared to others after storage of 20 d (p<0.05). The pH value of hot air-dried jerky was higher than those of others (p<0.05). For color properties, sun-dried samples showed higher redness (a*) and yellowness (b*) compared with the properties of others (p<0.05). The hot air-dried jerky showed higher shear force values than the sun-dried or the shade-dried jerky after 10 and 20 d (p<0.05). However, the total plate counts (TPCs) of naturally dried jerky (shade and sundried) were higher than hot-air dried jerky after storage of 10 and 20 d (p<0.05). With regard to sensory properties, naturally dried jerky showed higher tenderness, juiciness, and overall acceptability scores than the hot air-dried jerky (p<0.05). In conclusion, although natural drying appears to be more susceptible to microbiological contamination than hot air-drying, the natural drying method seems to result in superior quality than the hot air drying method.

A comprehensive review of drying meat products and the associated effects and changes

“…The pH of dried meat products is significantly affected by drying procedures. The pH of commercial dried meat samples ranged between pH 5.4–5.8 ( 75 ). Low pH values are important to avoid the denaturation of protein in the meat.…”

“…The air-dried method obtained a pH value of 6.25, while both the sun-dried and shade-dried processes had a pH value of 6.03. The elevated pH values appear to be caused by the denaturation of beef protein due to the drying processes ( 75 ).…”

“…In dried products, the a w contents are often less than 0.7 as it is responsible for microbiological stability to prevent microbial growth ( 76 ). In the study of beef jerky, all drying processes of meat, such as air-dried and sun-dried, achieved low a w with values of less than 0.75, in which signifies low water contents ( 75 ). The water content and water activity are not directly related; however, as the water content decreases, the water activity also decreases.…”

“…Pre-cooking the meat also raises the TBA value of dried meat products ( 77 ). The thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) value is the most often used indicator for determining the degree of lipid oxidation in meat products ( 75 ). Dried meat products have a higher TBARS value (8.33 μg/g) than fresh (0.11 μg/g) and smoked (0.21 μg/g) meat products ( 21 ).…”

Quality Characteristics of Semi-Dried Restructured Jerky Processed Using Super-Heated Steam

“…Jerky, a nutritious and convenient popular dried meat product, is in high demand among consumers [ 1 ]. The primary concern in dried meat products is the control of moisture content and water activity, which play an important role in inhibiting microbial growth and extending shelf life [ 5 , 6 ]. However, hot air drying, the most commonly used industrial food-drying method [ 7 ], which incurs a high energy cost and is a time-consuming process due to the low thermal conductivity of food materials [ 8 , 9 ].…”