Meat With High Linoleic Acid Content: Oxidative Changes During Frozen Storage

ABSTRACT “High linoleic” meat with fat containing up to 20% linoleic acid was produced by feeding a protected lipid supplement to sheep and steers. A comparison was made of the frozen storage life of this meat and of conventional meat, packaged in sealed polyethylene film pouches and stored at ‐10°C or at ‐20°C. Peroxide development was much more rapid in adipose tissue from high linoleic meat stored at ‐10°C. Rate of peroxide development in high hnoleic meat was greatly decreased when stored at ‐20°C. Taste panel assessments indicated that high linoleic meat stored at ‐10°C developed rancid odors and flavors 2‐3 times more rapidly than did conventional meat.