Abstract: In this study, we studied the effect of the addition of citrus fibers on the yield and quality of sauced beef. Sauced beef added with different types of citrus fibers (CF100L80, CF400L80 and CF100H60) by tumbling at different amounts (0.5%, 1.0% and 1.5%) was prepared and evaluated for yield, moisture distribution, pH, residual citrus fiber, color, texture, distribution of citrus fiber and sensory evaluation. The results demonstrated that the incorporation of citrus fibers significantly enhanced the yield of sauced beef, with the highest values of 78.73% and 78.35% being observed in sauced beef supplemented with 1.5% CF400L80 and 0.5% CF100H60, respectively. Furthermore, it was found that the addition of citrus fibers improved the water retention capacity of sauced beef not through pH changes but rather through water adsorption of residual citrus fiber in the meat. Among the prepared samples, sauced beef with the addition of 1.5% CF400L80 and 1.0% CF100L80 had the highest residual rate of citrus fiber of 68.57% and 66.31%, respectively. The scanning electron micrograph (SEM) results showed that citrus fibers accumulated on the surface of the muscle bundles and increased the yield of sauced beef through water adsorption and swelling. Also, the addition of citrus fibers decreased the hardness, stickiness and chewiness of sauced beef (P < 0.05). The sensory evaluation results demonstrated that the incorporation of citrus fibers significantly enhanced the texture and taste attributes of sauced beef, with the highest sensory evaluation score being observed for the samples with the addition of 0.5% CF100H60. In conclusion, the addition of 0.5% CF100H60 citrus fibers was the most effective in enhancing both the yield and sensory quality parameters of sauced beef.

Key words: citrus fiber; sauced beef; cooking yield; quality