Impact of Product Size and Subsequent Consumer Freezing Practices on Meat Quality and Palatability of Different Beef Muscles

The objective of this study was to assess the impacts of product sizes and subsequent consumer freezing practices on beef quality and palatability. Paired beef strip loins (LL), top sirloins (GM), and eye of rounds (ST) from 15 United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Low Choice beef carcasses were collected, and each side was assigned into 2 freezing sizes, section (SEC) or steak (STK). Each muscle was also cut into 3 equal portions and randomly assigned to one of the 3 freezer types: blast freezer (BLS), chest freezer (CST), or refrigerator freezer (FRI). Portions assigned to STK were further cut into steaks (2.54 cm). Samples were vacuum sealed and frozen for the first 35-d freezing cycle in a −20°C BLS, then thawed until the internal temperature reached 2°C. After thawing, samples were subjected to a second 35-d freezing cycle based on the assigned freezer types and thawed using the previous method. Samples were then subjected to quality and palatability analyses, with SEC samples fabricated into 2.54-cm steaks before analysis. Product size affected the pH of all muscles, showing SEC had a lower pH than STK (P < 0.05) in LL and GM, while the inverse was observed in ST. The ST muscle pH was influenced by the freezer, with FRI having the highest pH (P < 0.05). No clear pattern was observed in water-holding capacity, although SEC freezing generally had greater purge loss compared with STK. Regardless of muscles, SEC freezing significantly improved color quality and stability compared with STK samples, showing greater redness and lower discoloration (P < 0.05). The consumer sensory panel found minimal differences in palatability quality and acceptability in LL and ST treatments (P > 0.05), whereas SEC-FRI rated lower in tenderness and overall acceptability in GM (P < 0.05). The current results suggest that product size has a greater impact on determining final frozen meat quality compared with freezer types.