This dataset contains results from a quality assessment of commercially available dry-aged beef produced in Poland. The data were generated in a study of 14 dry-aged beef samples, including rib-eye and sirloin, obtained from different domestic producers in three experimental series. The aim of the study was to evaluate the physicochemical, microbiological, biochemical, textural and sensory quality of commercial dry-aged beef, with particular emphasis on differences between the dried outer surface layer, referred to as the crust, and the interior part of the steaks.
The scope of the dataset includes measurements of color parameters, pH level, water activity, TBARS index, water-holding capacity (WHC), basic chemical composition (water, protein and fat), cooking yield, texture parameters, counts of selected microbial groups, detection of Salmonella spp. and Listeria monocytogenes, profiles of free amino acids (FAA) and biogenic amines (BA), sensory evaluation, and identification of selected filamentous fungi isolated from the crust using ITS rDNA sequencing.
The deposited files contain results for individual beef samples from three experimental series. The data are organised by type of analysis and, where applicable, by sampling location: crust (the dried external layer of the steak), and interior (the internal part of the steak after removal of the crust). Sensory data refer to consumer scores for selected quality attributes, including aroma, tenderness, juiciness, flavor and overall liking. Microbiological data include abbreviated names of microbial groups, such as TPC (total plate count), LAB (lactic acid bacteria), PBC (psychrotrophic bacterial count), and YAM (yeasts and moulds). Other abbreviations used in the dataset include TBARS (thiobarbituric acid reactive substances), and WHC (water-holding capacity).
The experimental data include the following types of information:
- chemical composition: water, protein and fat content of the crust and interior parts of steaks
- physicochemical parameters: color parameters (L*, a*, b*), pH, water activity, TBARS index, and water-holding capacity, cooking yield; texture parameters: Warner–Bratzler shear force, and texture profile analysis (TPA) results
- microbiological quality: counts of total plate count (TPC), lactic acid bacteria (LAB), psychrotrophic bacterial count (PBC), Enterobacteriaceae, Pseudomonas spp., Brochothrix thermosphacta, yeasts and moulds (YAM), as well as detection of Salmonella spp. and Listeria monocytogenes
- biochemical profile: free amino acids content, biogenic amines profile, and biogenic amines index
- sensory data: consumer scores for aroma, tenderness, juiciness, flavor, and overall liking
- fungal identification: Thamnidium elegans strain:KKP 4289 Genome sequencing and assembly available at https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/bioproject/PRJNA1452626.
The deposited dataset is organised into separate files, each corresponding to a specific group of analyses performed in the study.
File list
- Readme.txt
- Chemical_composition.tab
- Physicochemical_parameters.tab
- Microbiological_quality.tab
- Listeria_and_Salmonella_detection.docx
- Free_amino_acids_content.tab
- Biogenic_amines_content.tab
- Sensory_evaluation.tab
(2026-04-23)
