Effect of oxygen concentration in modified atmosphere packaging on color and texture of beef patties cooked to different temperatures

Patties were made from raw minced beef after storage for 6 days in modified atmosphere (0, 20, 40, 60, and 80% oxygen) to study the combined effect of oxygen concentration and cooking temperature on hardness and color. Increased oxygen concentrations generally led to larger (P < 0.01) thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS) values, greater (P < 0.01) loss of free thiols and more formation of cross-linked myosin heavy chain. Hardness of cooked patties was generally lower (P < 0.01) without oxygen. Premature browning of cooked patties was observed already at a relative low oxygen concentration of 20%. The internal redness of cooked patties decreased (P < 0.05) with increasing oxygen concentrations and increasing cooking temperatures. Mean particle size (D(3,2)) of homogenized cooked meat generally increased (P < 0.05) with increasing cooking temperatures and increasing oxygen concentrations, and particle size was correlated (r = 0.80) with hardness of cooked patties.