Thermal Properties of Restructured Beef Snack Sticks Throughout Smokehouse Processing

Restructured snack sticks with two levels of citric acid were heat processed in a smokehouse for 9 h. Samples were removed at 30 min intervals for laboratory analyses of pH, yield, moisture, lipid, density, specific heat, thermal conductivity and shear force. Thermal diffusivity was calculated. A randomized complete block design with four replications and a control were used. Throughout processing, pH values for all three samples were significantly different, validating the need for comparisons. Incorporation of citric acid decreased product yields. After 540 min of smokehouse processing, density values ranged from 0.95 to 0.97 g/cm3; specific heat values for all three products were 3 kJ/kg °C; thermal conductivity values ranged from 0.25–0.33 W/m·°C; and thermal diffusivity, from 0.89 to 1.1 (m3/s)·10-7. Factors affecting each of the changes in these thermal properties were discussed with implications for product development.