Beef: it’s what’s for dinner…or so the adage goes. And while it’s true that many Americans consume beef on a daily or weekly basis, it’s also true that most shoppers turn their noses up to beef that looks brown in its packaging. Kyle Steele, a recent master’s graduate in animal sciences and industry at Kansas State University, estimated that this finicky fact costs grocery stores billions each year, and so he set about finding away to rectify it. LED light bars turned out to provide the solution. Steele found that, “by using LED lighting in meat retail display cases, retailers can save money by lowering the operational costs of refrigerated cases and extending the color shelf life of fresh meat products,” he says.

In his study, Steele employed the help of Elizabeth Boyle and Melvin Hunt, professors of animal sciences and industry, as well as with Melissa Weber, a recent doctoral graduate in animal sciences and industry. The researchers compared the reaction of five different meat products—pork loin chops, beef loin steaks, ground beef, ground turkey and beef inside round steaks—to fluorescent lights and LED strip lights. They found that in terms of discoloration, rancidity and operational costs, LED ribbon scored positively in nearly all areas: it helped reduce operating costs and prolonged the shelf life for most of the meat products. “Most meat products displayed under LED lighting had colder internal product temperatures, which helps extend product shelf life,” Steele said. “Beef loin steaks and inside round steaks that were stored under LED lights can have up to one day longer shelf life.”

Thanks to Physorg for the quotes and In Flex We Trust for the image.