Abstract:

Pineapple juice contains bromelain can tenderize beef. Effects of several factors, such as pineapple juice amount, pH value, temperature and treatment time, on tenderization of beef with pineapple juice were investigated in this study. The optimal conditions for beef tenderization were determined as follows: pineapple juice amount 6%, pH 7.0, 50 ℃, and 60 min. Under these conditions, shear force of beef was reduced by 50%. Beef products tenderized with pineapple juice, ginger juice and papain were compared in terms of flavor, color and shear force. Results indicated that tenderization effect of pineapple juice was more pronounced in enhancing the beef flavor than that of ginger juice (p ≤ 0.05). Compared to the control, beef treated with papain yielded better flavor. Pineapple juice, ginger juice and papain were all able to increase the tenderness of beef while no significant differences were observed among them. Beef treated with pineapple juice possessed higher a and a/b values than control and this difference of a/b value disappears after cooking. The results suggested no effect of tenderization of pineapple juice on the color of beef products.

Key words: pineapple juice, beef, tenderization