Dietary α‐Tocopheryl Acetate Contributes to Lipid Stability in Cooked Beef

Lipid oxidation was investigated in cooked gluteus medius from Holstein steers fed diets including four levels of α‐tocopheryl acetate (0, 250, 500 and 2,000 mg/steer daily) for 42 or 126 days. Alpha‐tocopherol (vitamin E) concentrations increased in fresh and cooked muscle due to level and duration of supplementation (P<0.01). Cooking did not affect α‐tocopherol concentration in the muscle. Dietary α‐tocopheryl acetate delayed (P<0.01) accumulation of lipid oxidation products in cooked muscle during 6 days of display at 4°. Daily supplementation of 500 mg α‐tocopheryl acetate for 126 days resulted in 3.4 μg α‐tocopherol/g cooked gluteus medius.