Evaluation of sample preparation methods for water activity determination in jerky and kippered beef: A research note

摘要

Commercially available packaged whole muscle beef jerky, chopped and formed beef jerky, and kippered beef steak were obtained from retail stores to determine the effect of two sample preparation methods on water activity (a_w). Intact samples were prepared by cutting product into a hexagonal shape with a 3.2 cm diameter. Diced samples were prepared by cutting the product into 0.4 × 0.4 cm squares. Whole muscle jerky a_w was higher (0.016 units; P< 0.001) using the intact method compared to the diced method. There was no difference (P>0.05) in a_w levels between the two preparation methods for chopped and formed jerky or kippered beef steak. An intact sample preparation method is recommended for a_w determination of whole muscle jerky to obtain a more conservative value, especially if a_w is near the margin of safety.