scholarly journals Acute stress induced by the preslaughter use of electric prodders causes tougher beef meat

2007 ◽  
Vol 47 (7) ◽  
pp. 782 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. D. Warner ◽  
D. M. Ferguson ◽  
J. J. Cottrell ◽  
B. W. Knee

Adrenergic activation and hormone release preslaughter is an inevitable outcome of the systems used to move cattle to slaughter. The aim of this experiment was to investigate the effects of acute preslaughter stress in beef cattle on postmortem muscle metabolism and the meat quality, including consumer-assessed eating quality. Eighty-four cattle were used on three separate days, with ‘mobs’ of four cattle allocated to either a ‘control’ (no electric goads used preslaughter) or a ‘stress’ (six prods given with an electric goad over 5–10 min) treatment at 15 min preslaughter. Cattle undergoing the ‘stress’ treatment had higher plasma lactate at slaughter. The prerigor pH and temperature, ultimate pH and temperature at rigor of the longissimus thoracis muscle were similar between treatments (P > 0.05 for all). The water-holding capacity of the longissimus lumborum was reduced by the ‘stress’ treatment, as indicated by higher levels of water lost during suspension (drip loss), storage (purge) for 21 days and cooking (cooking loss at 1 day postslaughter) (P < 0.05 for all). ‘Stress’ cattle produced longissimus lumborum muscle with similar sarcomere lengths and Warner–Bratzler shear force at 2, 6 and 21 days, compared to ‘control’ cattle (P < 0.05 for all). The longissimus lumborum muscle of cattle undergoing the ‘stress’ treatment was rated less tender, less juicy, with a less acceptable flavour, a lower ‘liking’ and a lower MQ4 score (P < 0.05 for all). The ‘bloomed’ surface colour (CIE L*, a*, b*) of the longissimus lumborum muscle at 2, 6 and 21 days postslaughter was similar between the ‘stress’ and ‘control’ treatments (P > 0.05 for all). In conclusion, cattle subjected to acute preslaughter stress using electric goads produced meat which the consumer rated as tougher with inferior quality. The inferior quality induced by the acute stress treatment was associated with reduced water-holding capacity but was independent of muscle pH and temperature.

1995 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 17-22 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Ellis ◽  
F.K. Mckeith

The efficiency of pig production has increased considerably in recent years, but the improvement of meat quality has only recently begun to receive attention. Closer links between the producers and marketers of pigs are now resulting in a clearer understanding of the factors that lead to meat of high quality. Here, some of the major on-farm influences on meat quality are described, focussing on meat colour, water-holding capacity and eating quality.


Meat Science ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 172 ◽  
pp. 108357
Author(s):  
Petter Vejle Andersen ◽  
Nils Kristian Afseth ◽  
Eli Gjerlaug-Enger ◽  
Jens Petter Wold

Meat Science ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 121 ◽  
pp. 409-419 ◽  
Author(s):  
Huixin Zuo ◽  
Ling Han ◽  
Qunli Yu ◽  
Kelan Niu ◽  
Suonan Zhao ◽  
...  

2022 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
K. M. Lindroth ◽  
J. Dicksved ◽  
I. Vervuert ◽  
C. E. Müller

Abstract Background Free faecal liquid (FFL) is a condition in horses characterised by two-phase (one solid and one liquid) separation of faeces. Causes of the condition are unknown, but disturbed hindgut fermentation has been suggested as it may alter biochemical composition and appearance of faeces in equines. However, information on faecal composition in horses with FFL is scarce. Faecal chemical composition (dry matter, osmolality, ash, macro minerals, short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) and pH) and physical characteristics (free liquid, sand, water holding capacity and particle size distribution) were compared in horses with (case) and without (control) FFL in two sub-studies. In sub-study I, faeces from 50 case-control horse pairs in Sweden and Norway were sampled in three sampling periods (SP1-SP3). In sub-study II, faeces from 32 case-control horse pairs in Germany were sampled on one occasion. Results In sub-study I, faecal concentration and proportion of lactic acid (of total short-chain fatty acids, SCFA) and water holding capacity was lower in case compared to control horses. Other variables (content of dry matter, ash, sodium, calcium, phosphorous, magnesium, sulphur, and concentrations of i-butyric, n-valeric and total SCFA, ammonia-N as proportion of total N, and pH) were similar in faeces from case and control horses. In sub-study II, all analysed variables were similar in faecal samples from case and control horses. Faecal particle size distribution was similar in case and control horses, but the proportion of larger particles (2 and 1 mm) were lower and proportion of smaller particles (< 1 mm) was higher in sub-study I compared to in sub-study II. Conclusions To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to investigate faecal chemical composition and physical characteristics in horses with FFL. Case and control horses had similar total SCFA, pH and osmolality, indicating that hindgut fermentation was similar. However, small differences in concentration and proportion (of total SCFA) of lactic acid and water holding capacity of faeces were shown and are of interest for further studies of horses with FFL.


1988 ◽  
Vol 46 (2) ◽  
pp. 153-161 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Franc ◽  
L. Bartoš ◽  
Z. Hanyš ◽  
Z. Tomeš

AbstractTwenty bulls of three different breeds were tethered individually from 5 months until slaughter at 21 months. On the day of slaughter, the bulls were divided into groups of five animals, transported and then released in a pen. The first bull of the group was slaughtered 60 or 110 min after regrouping. Subsequent bulls were slaughtered individually at 50-min intervals. Social interactions among the bulls were recorded. Muscle pH, light reflectance values and water-holding capacity were measured in samples of m. longissimus dorsi. These characteristics showed correlations with the amount of non-agonistic social activity in which a bull had been involved before slaughter. The characteristics were also correlated with the number of agonistic interactions. Whether a bull was behaving as a dominant or a submissive animal did not influence the incidence of dark-cutting meat as judged by pH values. On the other hand, light reflectance values and water-holding capacity were correlated with the number of passive agonistic interactions (i.e. how many times a bull was attacked) and considerably less with the number of active interactions (number of attacks by the bull). The incidence of butting was not significantly related to muscle characteristics but mounting was significantly correlated with them.The study indicates that dark-cutting beef is primarily caused by physically exhausting activities such as mounting, and further modified by stress-inducing social interactions.


2014 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 737-747 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marta Chmiel ◽  
Mirosław Słowiñski ◽  
Sławomir Janakowski

AbstractThe aim of this study was to evaluate selected quality attributes of pork longissimus lumborum (LL) muscle characterized by Rfn and PSe occurrence considering its microstructure. The material used in the research was 100 pork meat samples of normal quality (RFN – red, firm, normal, non-exudative) and 100 pork meat samples with PSe defect. The digital images of microstructure of selected meat samples were captured and some quality attributes, including ph level, drip loss, electrical conductivity (ec), water holding capacity (Whc) and ciel*a*b* parameters, were determined. Based on the findings obtained it was concluded that PSE meat (pH24h≤5.5) was characterized by higher degradation of muscle fibre structure when compared with the normal meat (RFN). The differences in the microstructure of PSE and RFN meat influenced the colour, electrical conductivity, drip loss and WHC of the meat. The PSE meat was characterized by a signifi- cantly lighter color and significantly higher electrical conductivity, along with more intense drip loss and worsened water holding capacity in comparison with Rfn meat.


2020 ◽  
Vol 50 (1) ◽  
pp. 26-37
Author(s):  
A Zybert ◽  
K Tarczyński ◽  
H Sieczkowska ◽  
E Krzęcio-Nieczyporuk ◽  
K Antosik

Muscle metabolites greatly determine pork quality. However, precise threshold values which indicate its deterioration or improvement are not fully known. This study aimed to determine the influences of pork Longissimus lumborum (LL) glycogen and lactate concentrations measured at 45 min post mortem on pH, colour (L*a*b*) and drip loss (DL) measured during 144 hours post mortem in order to prescribe appropriate threshold values. The investigation used 30 gilts and 30 barrows being fattened for slaughter. After slaughter, the carcasses were assigned to groups based on the observed levels of glycogen and lactate: low GlyL with glycogen ≤35 μmol/g, GlyM with glycogen between 35 and 55 μmol/g, GlyH with glycogen >55 μmol/g; LacL with lactate ≤40 μmol/g and LacH with lactate >40 μmol/g. Lower muscle pH was noted up to 24 h post mortem in the LacH group compared to LacL (P ≤0.01). 24 h post mortem higher pH was found in GlyL than in GlyM and GlyH (P ≤0.01), which were similar. Similarly no statistical differences were noted between The GlyM and GlyH groups were also similar in L*, DL96 and DL144, with lower values found for GlyL (P ≤0.01). Compared to LacH, LacL had lower L*, DL48, DL96 and DL144 (P ≤0.01) and higher a* and b* values. Muscle pH, drip loss, L* and a* values were more affected by lactate concentration if the glycogen concentration ≥35 μmol/g muscle tissue. Thus, metabolite concentration may be a useful and valuable indicator of pork quality. Keywords: drip loss, glycolytic resources, pork colour, post-mortem muscle metabolism


2017 ◽  
Vol 73 (12) ◽  
pp. 802-810 ◽  
Author(s):  
Piotr Domaradzki ◽  
Zygmunt Litwińczuk ◽  
Mariusz Florek ◽  
Paweł Żółkiewski

Recent years have seen increasing interest in the conservation and use of native breeds of livestock raised in traditional farming systems. The experience of many European countries shows that promotion of raw materials and products derived from these breeds through a labelling system has a beneficial effect on the sustainable development of rural areas, contributes to preservation of the cultural heritage of the countryside, and increases the population of the breeds. As yet no beef produced in Poland has been included on the European list of traditional and regional products. For this reason we conducted a study to evaluate selected physicochemical properties of the meat of young bulls of three native breeds, Polish Red, White-Backed and Polish Black-and- White, compared with the meat of young Simmental and Polish Holstein-Friesian bulls, during a 14-day ageing of vacuum-packed meat. The following parameters were measured in m. longissimus lumborum (MLL) taken from half carcasses of 50 young bulls (10 from each breed): pH, electrical conductivity (45 min., 24 h, 2, 7 and 14 days post mortem), colour (according to CIE L*a*b*), shear force and energy. The water-holding capacity of the meat (drip loss, cooking loss and free water by the Grau-Hamm method), TBARS value (on days 2, 7 and 14) and content of haem pigments were determined as well. The physicochemical parameters of the MLL muscle obtained from the native Polish breeds of bulls (Polish Red, White-Backed and Polish Black-and-White) had intermediate values between those of Polish Holstein- Friesian (dairy type) and Simmental (dual-purpose) cattle. No qualitative deviations, such as those associated with DFD syndrome (pH 48 h in the range of 5.51-5.72), were found in any of the samples, which indicates that the raw material is well suited to the production of beef for culinary purposes. The breed of cattle was found to significantly influence the water-holding capacity parameters. The highest (P < 0.001) drip loss was reported on the 14th day post mortem for the MLL of young bulls of the Simmental (6.89%) and Polish Red breeds (6.47%). The highest cooking loss was found on the 7th day post mortem in the MLL of young bulls of the Polish Holstein-Friesian (30.66%) and Simmental breeds (30.92%). Significantly (P < 0.01) the least favourable water-holding capacity (the largest amount of free water) was shown by the muscle of young bulls of the Simmental breed on the 2nd day post mortem (75.31 mg) and the Polish Red breed on the 7th and 14th days post mortem (67.42 mg and 60.36 mg, respectively). On the 2nd and 7th days post mortem, the most tender MLL muscle was found (according to WBSF shear force) in the Polish Holstein-Friesian (76.8 N and 69.3 N) and Polish Black-and-White breeds (89.5 N and 59.1 N). On the last, 14th day of ageing, the instrumental WBSF shear force for the breeds evaluated was definitely more homogeneous and did not differ significantly (shear force in the range of 56.3-65.7 N; P > 0.05). Compared to the muscle of native breeds, that of the Polish Holstein-Friesians showed significantly lower haem pigments (on average 35 ppm less; P < 0.01) and a lower proportion of redness (a*) (P < 0.01) on the 2nd and 7th days post mortem. The MLL muscle of young bulls of the Polish Red breed had the lowest (P < 0.01) percentage content of yellowness (b*) during the whole ageing period. Significantly (P < 0.01) lower oxidative stability (higher TBARS value) was found in the meat from young bulls of the Polish Holstein-Friesian breed (on the 2nd and 7th days post mortem) and the White-Backed breed (on the 14th day) compared to all other breeds analysed. In general, the ageing time had a positive influence on the muscle quality, as the determinants of the visual and sensory attractiveness of the meat, which are also important in the meat industry, remained stable (pH), improved (colour and water-holding capacity G-H) or became more similar among the breeds (tenderness assessed on the basis of shear force, cooking loss)....


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