Thursday, 27 November 2025

Evaluation of the Effect of Local Aromatic Plant Marinades and Cooking Regimes on Colour and Quality of Borgou Beef in Benin | Chapter 8 | Microbiology and Biotechnology Research: An Overview Vol. 5

 

Meat production in Benin is primarily supplied by the national cattle herd, which comprises a genetic diversity predominated by the Borgou breed. The quality attributes of beef are directly influenced by processing techniques such as marination and cooking. Marination plays a crucial role in improving tenderness, juiciness, and flavour while also conferring antioxidant and antimicrobial effects that enhance meat safety and shelf life. The aim of the study was to evaluate the effects of marination and cooking duration and temperature on the technological properties and sensory profile of Borgou beef. This study was conducted from April 2020 to December 2023, at the central slaughterhouse of Parakou and at the Quality Control Unit of the laboratory of Nutrition and Food Sciences of the University of Parakou, located in the Department of Borgou in Benin. To this end, 10 composite samples of Longissimus thoracis muscles of Borgou cattle were sampled and used for the analyses according to the recommended AOAC and ISO standards. The study showed that the values of the ratio L1*/L0* and a/a₀ differ significantly between meat cooked at 99°C and 66°C. The various stages of heating are visually reflected by the change in colour from red to white-gray, then brown, and finally black. At 66°C and 99°C, samples whiten and do not change colour until the end of cooking, except for some brown traces. Marination affects the technological properties of both raw and cooked meat. The luminance of marinated meat is significantly higher than that of control (non-marinated) samples (p<0.01). Conversely, the red index of marinated meat is significantly lower than that of control samples (p<0.05). Regarding the yellow index, the highest value was recorded in meat marinated with Curcuma longa (p<0.05). The most intense hue was observed in the control lot. Only the chroma of the meat was unaffected by marination. The pH of marinated meats is significantly more acidic than that of the control lot. Turmeric marination significantly reduces cooking loss, whereas bay leaves promote higher water release during cooking (p<0.001). The integration of traditional aromatic plants not only improves physicochemical stability and sensory attributes but also provides natural antioxidant and antimicrobial benefits. Future studies should investigate the antimicrobial activity of the different marinades used in the study and assess the microbiological safety of the marinated beef.

 

 

Author(s) Details

Polycarpe Ulbad TOUGAN
Department of Nutrition and Agro-Food Sciences, Faculty of Agronomy, University of Parakou, BP 123 Parakou, Benin and Laboratory of Food Security and Quality of Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, University of Liège, Passage des Déportés 2-5030 Gembloux, Belgium.

 

Nathalie KOUBIA
Department of Nutrition and Food Sciences, Faculty of Agronomy, University of Abomey-Calavi, Benin.

 

Please see the book here :- https://doi.org/10.9734/bpi/mbrao/v5/6669

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