Flavor, texture, color, and hexanal and TBA values of frozen cooked beef packaged in modified atmosphere

Cooked beef loin slices were packaged with (1) vacuum, (2) 80% N2 and 20% CO2 gas mixture, or (3) air and stored at -20 degrees C for 11 wk. Modified packaging of cooked beef improved flavor and odor. After storage and reheating, flavor and aroma of samples in vacuum and N2/CO2 packages were more meaty, less warmed-over, less cardboardy, and less oxidized and had lower TBA, less hexanal, and less pentanal than those in air-containing packages. Textural properties of beef were unaffected by packaging treatments. Vacuum-packaged beef slices had higher HunterLab a values than those in N2/CO2 and air packages