03/28/1991

Low Fat Ground Beef Formulation Developed at Auburn

AUBURN, Ala.—Consumer concern about high fat content of hamburgers has threatened to make this fast-food favorite an endangered species. But research has come to the rescue in the form of a low-fat ground beef formula developed at the Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station at Auburn University.

Appropriately named AU Lean, the new ground beef product has less than 10 percent fat and 40-50 percent fewer calories than traditional ground beef. What makes this development worthwhile, however, is that hamburgers made with AU Lean are just as juicy and tasty as the fatty hamburgers Americans crave--not the dry, tasteless product that results from simply grinding lean meat.

Consumer tests had established that about 20 percent fat was necessary for best sensory qualities of ground beef. This presented the researchers with the contradictory tasks of leaving out half of the fat without losing the taste provided by the fat.

What finally solved the researchers' problem was the use of a combination of additives--carrageenan (a seaweed derivative), hydrolyzed vegetable protein, water and salt--incorporated into ground lean beef. The carrageenan, which is a standard food additive, was the key to success. It held moisture in the meat to avoid the drying out problem that is typical when lean ground beef is cooked.

The final product contains about nine percent fat (uncooked). A four-ounce uncooked patty yields about a 3.5-ounce cooked patty that contains approximately eight percent fat and 130 calories. This compares to a traditional ground beef patty of the same size that contains about 20 percent fat and 220 calories after cooking.

AU Lean first reached the commercial market as the McLean Deluxe™ , a low-fat hamburger being marketed nationally by McDonald's restaurants. Other restaurant companies also are considering the AU Lean formulation, and it is one of four low-fat ground beef products being evaluated in a USDA pilot study for possible use in the National School Lunch Program. In addition, grocery store chains in several U.S. regions are considering adding AU Lean to their meat counters.

The success of this formulation should not only provide a health benefit for consumers, it also should be a boost to the nation's beef industry. Ground beef products account for more than 40 percent of U.S. beef consumption, so maintaining or increasing this market is important to the cattle industry.

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By:
R. E. Stevenson