Color-stabilizing effect of lactate on ground beef is packaging-dependent

Previous research on lactate-induced color stability in ground beef did not address the potential influence of packaging. The objective of the present study was to examine the effects of lactate on the color stability of ground beef patties stored in different modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) systems. Ground beef patties with either 2.5% potassium lactate or no lactate were packaged in vacuum (VP), high-oxygen MAP (HIOX; 80% O2 + 20% CO2), carbon monoxide MAP (CO; 0.4% CO + 19.6% CO2 + 80% N2), or aerobic packaging (PVC) and stored for 0, 2, or 4 days at 2 °C. Lactate-treated patties were darker (P 0.05). The color-stabilizing effect of CO could have masked lactate's effect on surface redness. While lactate patties in PVC and VP demonstrated lower (P 0.05) existed between controls and lactate samples in CO and HIOX. Our results indicated that the effects of lactate on ground beef color are dependent on packaging. © 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.Peer Reviewe