Here, we established a method to produce dry-aged beef (DAB) by rub inoculation with fungal flora on the prepared DAB surface. Portions of Holstein steers’ rumps were prepared by direct rub inoculation of fungal flora or without treatment (conventional DAB) and dry-aged for 26 days in an aging room at 2.9 °C and 90% relative humidity. We compared the fungal covering and meat quality, including fatty acid composition and volatile aromatic compounds, of fungal-inoculated DAB with those of the conventional DAB. The fungal-inoculated DAB was almost entirely covered with white mold, in contrast to the conventional DAB. Moreover, the proportion of oleic acid and the concentration of nine volatile compounds significantly increased in the raw meat of fungal-inoculated DAB compared with those in the conventional DAB (p < 0.05). These results suggested that direct rub inoculation of fungal flora from prepared DAB may accelerate DAB production and efficiently enhance the “melt-in-the-mouth” feeling and flavors of DAB.

Black chokeberry (Aronia melanocarpa) yields aronia berries, which are rich in anthocyanins. Although aronia juice and its extract have various potential health benefits, information regarding the activity of aronia juice residue is currently limited. The present study examined the effects of aronia juice residue and its ethanol extract on glucose and lipid metabolism in high‑fat diet‑fed mice. Following a 26‑day trial, serum triglycerides, free fatty acids and low‑density lipoprotein cholesterol levels were significantly lower in mice fed aronia juice residue or its ethanol extract than in the high‑fat‑fed control mice. Furthermore, mice fed aronia compounds demonstrated a suppressed hepatic mRNA expression of stearoyl‑CoA desaturase 1, which promotes fatty acid synthesis, whereas the expression levels of cholesterol 7 alpha‑hydroxylase, a rate‑limiting enzyme of cholesterol catabolism, were increased. Moreover, the ethanol extract inhibited lipase activity in vitro. On the whole, these results indicate that aronia juice residue and its ethanol extract are potentially useful in suppressing lipid metabolic dysfunction in high‑fat diet‑fed mice.

Tomato products containing lycopene can improve the quality of meat products during storage. However, few studies have compared the effects of different tomato products, including tomato paste (PAS), tomato powder (POW), and strained tomato, on meat quality. Herein, under two storage conditions (5 days at 37 °C under fluorescent light and 15 days at 4 °C), thiobarbituric acid values associated with lipid oxidation decreased in sausages prepared using all three tomato products compared to control sausages without tomato products. Tomato products also increased the redness of sausages stored at 4 °C. Texture analysis showed that only sausages prepared with POW and PAS exhibited decreased hardness and increased springiness compared to the control on day 10. Tomato products comparably improved the quality of cooked sausages regarding lipid oxidation and discoloration during storage whereas the texture depended on the product type, suggesting the use of tomato products as natural food additives in meat products.