Contacts:         Stephanie Darling   303/850-3359    sdarling@beef.org
                       Diane Henderson    303/850-3465    dhenderson@beefboard.org

(Editors: For interview resources, a complete copy of the guide, color photographs and/or PDFs of the individual aging curves, contact Stephanie Darling, 303-850-3359.)

LOVE ME TENDER:  NEW GUIDE FOR BEEF AGING RELEASED

Research identifies optimum aging curves for individual muscles in two quality grades

RENO, Nev. (July 10, 2006 ) — What does it take to be consistent in aging certain beef muscles to mouth-watering tenderness? The new Industry Guide for Beef Aging, funded by the Beef Checkoff Program, provides some answers, compiling new research on aging times for fresh (never frozen) individual muscles within subprimal cuts, as well as the effect of different USDA Quality Grades on beef aging.

Current industry aging specifications apply only to beef subprimal cuts and do not factor in variations based on grades, said Bill Rishel, a Nebraska seedstock operator and chairman of the Joint Product Enhancement Committee. The growing popularity of single muscles, such as those utilized in the checkoff-funded Beef Value Cuts Program, created the need to study whether or not existing aging standards would be appropriate for these new products, he explained. The new guidelines now provide “aging curves” for 17 muscle cuts from the round, chuck and loin, at Select and Choice grades.

“This new research will help make our product more consistent and enjoyable for consumers and when we place greater emphasis on that, we have a greater chance of increasing beef demand and maintaining a profitable price structure. That’s the purpose of checkoff investments,” Rishel explained.

The guide covers findings by researchers at Colorado State University, who used 40 USDA Select and 40 upper two-thirds USDA Choice (Premium Choice) fresh carcasses to identify optimum aging periods for 17 individual cuts. During the seven-month study, subprimals were fabricated into one-inch thick steaks, vacuum-sealed, stored at 36°F and examined after two, four, six, 10, 14, 21 and 28 days of aging.

Tenderness was measured by Warner-Bratzler shear force (WBSF) analysis, which calculates tenderness based on the amount of pressure (in kilograms) needed to cut ½-inch core samples from cooked meat samples. The lower the WBSF value, the more tender the beef, Rishel explained.

Researchers found that the differences in postmortem tenderization were based on the initial tenderness of the muscle at two days postmortem; the aging response, or overall WBSF change from day two through 28; and the rate of tenderization, which shows the daily WBSF change during aging.  Both the specific muscle and the quality grade had an effect on the steaks’ WBSF value.

The Industry Guide for Beef Aging is available for purchase from the checkoff’s contracted Customer Service Department by calling 800-368-3138. Reference item #12810.