Effects of ascorbic acid, rosemary, and Origanox™ in preventing bone marrow discoloration in beef lumbar vertebrae in aerobic and anaerobic packaging systems

Treatments of 1.25% or 2.5% ascorbic acid (AA); 0.1% or 0.2% rosemary; or a combination of 0.15% Origanox™ + 0.3% AA on beef lumbar vertebrae (n = 72) were evaluated for their effectiveness in preventing bone discoloration in retail packages. Vertebrae were held either 6 or 14 d postmortem; cut into 2.54-cm sections; and packaged into either polyvinyl chloride film overwrap (PVC), high-oxygen (80% O2/20% CO2) modified-atmosphere packages (MAP), or ultra-low-oxygen (70% N2/30% CO2) MAP. Controls and vertebrae treated with 0.1% or 0.2% rosemary discolored significantly, whereas 0.15% Origanox™ + 0.3% AA was effective through d 2 of display in PVC and high-oxygen MAP. In both high- and ultra-low-oxygen MAP, 1.25% AA was as effective as 2.5% AA in preventing bone discoloration. Vertebrae treated with AA or packaged in ultra-low-oxygen MAP had the largest a* values over display time. Bone discoloration was effectively prevented with AA, especially at the 2.5% concentration.