Quality and acceptability of fresh and long-term frozen in-bag dry-aged lean bull beef

In-bag dry-aged lean beef was produced using a stepwise ageing process. Lean bull beef striploins were dry-aged at 2°C, 75% RH under three different air velocities: 0.5, 1.5, and 2.5 m·s−1 for 7 days followed by wet-ageing for 14 days. The quality and acceptability of the dry-aged beef were compared with equivalent beef dry-aged for 21 days at 0.5 m·s−1 which served as a control. Two portions of the dry-aged beef (7/21 days) were randomly selected and held frozen at −18°C for 12 months. Shear force, drip, and cook loss decreased significantly with dry-ageing time. Increased air velocities accelerated dehydration process with no negative impact on the meat quality, microbiological safety, and consumer acceptability compared to the control. Frozen storage for 12 months had little or no effect on the quality and acceptability of the dry-aged lean beef. Dry-aged lean beef of equivalent quality and palatability, with a lower level of surface microorganisms and higher yield compared to the control, could be produced using the stepwise ageing process.