## 4 Conclusions  
Similar trends were observed across different parameters. Drip loss from meat decreased by the end of the first week of aging, followed by an increase. Similarities were indicating that there is no strong correlation between the amount of drip loss and temperature parameters. This can also be paralleled with softness, or tenderness, which is considered as the most important attribute of meat in this study. The hardness (F\({}_{\text{max}}\)) and work required for cutting (W), which are the opposite of tenderness, were lowest after the first week, followed by an increase and then a subsequent decrease. The tenderness reached its maximum at the end of the first week, after which the samples only got harder. For the other properties, there were hardly any statistically significant changes after the first week. Therefore, if the aim is to minimize water content and maximize the softness of beef, any temperature can be set within the examined interval for cost-effectiveness, and the minimum aging time (one week) is already a suitable setting. The most intense color change was observed in SAMPLE GROUP II, while the smallest change was seen in SAMPLE GROUP III. Changes in L* values were observed after the first week, corresponding to drip loss, followed by a decrease. This led to the conclusion that the water content of the meat correlates with its lightness. The pH measurements, after an initial increase by the end of the first week, a subsequent decrease was observed until the end of the four-week aging experiment. This trend is consistent with findings from other studies. The decrease in pH value may be attributed to the acidic by-products of microbiological processes occurring in the meat and the oxygen transfer deficiency due to vacuum packaging. From a microbiological perspective, there were no significant changes in three out of four groups. It can be concluded that the samples were consistently satisfactory from a food safety standpoint. In this study, no sensory analysis was carried out, which is essential if the experiment is repeated, as sensory characteristics are very important in the case of aged beef, because some sensory parameters, like flavor, cannot be accessed by instrumental measurements. Unfortunately, we did not have enough samples for the appropriate size of sensory panel when the experiments were carried out and it has not yet been possible to repeat the experiment. The replication of this experiment by performing other assays, including a sensory evaluation, could be the subject of our future study. Overall, optimal parameters for aging were achieved after the first week. At this point, the consistency was at its best, and microbiological factors were not yet significant. Additionally, the meat was juicy, and its acidity was not predominant. Using the technology presented in this paper, optimal aging was achieved after one week. However, the rehydration, hardening, darkening, and pH reduction that occurred over the additional three weeks, suggest that aging continued. It is possible that by increasing the aging time, the tenderness will return to the optimum or a higher level. One of the aims of the present study was to reduce the cost factors of aging. This aim was achieved by providing evidence that the minimum aging time in the experimental setting is optimal and the least costly temperature can be set within the range investigated. Conceptualization, G.J. and G.K.W. ; methodology, G.K.W. ; validation, G.J., formal analysis, G.K.W. ; investigation, G.K.W. ; resources, I.D. ; data curation, G.K.W., writing--original draft preparation, G.K.W. ; writing--review and editing, T.C. and G.J. ; visualization, G.K.W. ; supervision, G.J. and I.D. ; project administration, G.K.W. ; funding acquisition, I.D. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript. This research received no external funding. Not applicable. The raw data supporting the conclusions of this article will be made available by the authors on request.