Effect of dietary supplementation on lipid photoxidation in beef meat, during storage under commercial retail conditions

The effects of feeding composition on the photosensitized oxidation of lipids from beef meat, were evaluated during storage under commercial retail conditions. Feeding was enriched with linseed oil (LO), Dl-α tocopheryl acetate (vE) and conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) at different doses and provided for diverse periods, resulting in 7 diet groups (A-G). After slaughtering and 2 weeks of holding period, meat slices were packed in vessels with transparent shrink film and exposed to white fluorescent light for 8 h at 8 °C. Total cholesterol oxidation products (COPs) level varied from 4.0 to 13.0 μg/g of lipids, which corresponded to 0.1-0.6% oxidized cholesterol. The lowest peroxide value (PV) in the diet added with vE and LO for 90 days was found. Light exposure only had a significant impact on thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARs). In general, Dl-α tocopheryl acetate supplemented for 90 days improved the oxidative stability of beef meat stored under commercial retail conditions.