scholarly journals Carcass characteristics and meat quality of once-calved heifers

1991 ◽  
Vol 71 (2) ◽  
pp. 311-319 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. C. Vincent ◽  
S. D. M. Jones ◽  
L. E. Jeremiah ◽  
J. A. Newman ◽  
M. A. Price

Three groups of once-calved (OCH) heifers were slaughtered following the weaning of their calves at 3 (OCH3, n = 32), 5 (OCH5, n = 33) and 7 (OCH7, n = 31) months postcalving. A fourth group of heifers was fed a silage/grain diet and slaughtered at 15 mo of age (C, n = 32). Alternate sides of each carcass were electrically stimulated (ES) at 475 volts for 1 min (20 pulses m−1, 60 Hz) at 45 min post-stunning. All left sides were dissected into fat, lean and bone and meat quality parameters recorded. Rib eye steaks were evaluated for palatability by a trained panel and for consumer acceptability after an aging period of 6 d. All OCH groups produced heavier carcasses with a higher level of marbling than the C group after adjustment of the data to a constant proportion of carcass fatness, but the proportional yields of lean and bone tissue were similar for all heifer groups. OCH groups produced meat that was darker with a lower drip loss and higher 45 min and 6 d pH than the C group. Consumer acceptability of rib eye steaks was similar for all heifer groups, but the OCH7 (oldest) group had a higher amount of connective tissue when evaluated by a trained panel than other heifer groups. Taste panel evaluations showed that ES increased meat tenderness and overall palatability and reduced the amount of connective tissue when compared to meat from unstimulated carcasses. ES also increased the consumer acceptability of tenderness by 14.3%, flavor by 5.6%, juiciness by 5.2% and overall palatability by 6.7% over meat from unstimulated carcasses. It was concluded that once-calved heifers could produce heavier carcasses of similar composition and meat with similar eating quality to conventionally managed nonpregnant feedlot heifers. Electrical stimulation improved the consumer acceptability of meat primarily through an improvement in meat tenderness. Key words: Beef, carcass, electrical stimulation, meat quality, once-calved heifers

2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 ◽  
pp. 1-13
Author(s):  
Carlos Álvarez ◽  
Lara Morán ◽  
Derek F. Keenan ◽  
Anne-Maria Mullen ◽  
Gonzalo Delgado-Pando

Meat quality parameters are affected by a complex series of interacting chemical, biochemical, physical, and physiological components that determine not only the suitability for consumption and the conditions for further processing and storage but also consumer acceptability. Deep understanding and careful manipulation of these intrinsic and extrinsic factors have to be taken in account to ensure high quality of meat, with better technological properties and increased safety for consumers. Among meat quality characteristics, meat tenderness has been perceived as the most important factor governing consumer acceptability. Therefore, being able to early predict meat texture and other related parameters in order to guarantee consistent eating quality to the final consumer is one of the most sought-after goals in the meat industry. Accurate measurements of both the biochemical and mechanical characteristics that underpin muscle and its transformation into meat are key factors to an improved understanding of meat quality, but also this early-stage measurements may be useful to develop methods to predict final meat texture. It is the goal of this review to present the available research literature on the historical and contemporary analyses that could be applied in early postmortem stages (pre-rigor and rigor) to determine the biochemical and physical characteristics of the meat that can potentially impact the eating quality.


Author(s):  
Liisa Voutila ◽  
Anne Maria Mullen ◽  
Paul Allen ◽  
Declan Troy ◽  
Eero Puolanne

Loose structure and PSE like zones on the lateral surface of porcine semimembranosus muscle have beenobserved by other researchers. However the role of connective tissue in this abnormally loose structure insemimembranosus muscle has not yet been clarified. We collected about 100g samples from 7 loosestructured and 7 normal structured Irish commercial porcine semimembranosus muscles in order tocompare the onset and peak of thermal transition temperature of intramuscular connective tissue betweenthe samples from the two groups. Meat quality parameters, ultimate pH, rough estimate for drip loss,lightness (L), redness (a) yellowness (b) and as well as electrical conductivity and reflectance were alsomeasured on the samples. Four of the samples characterized as normal by visual assessment showed DFDcharacteristic so the statistical analysis was carried out both including and excluding those samples. Inboth cases the onset (p<0.001; 56.94ºC vs. 59.82ºC) and peak (p<0.001; 62.59ºC vs. 64.06ºC) of thermaltransition temperature were significantly lower in loose structured meat than in normal structured meat.Also reflectance% was lower (p<0.01; 45.18% vs. 69.17%) and the colour lighter (higher L value; p<0.01;55.05 vs. 45.52) and more yellow (higher b value; p<0.001; 18.27 vs. 14.78) in loose structured meat thanin normal structured meat when the DFD like samples were excluded. These results indicate that loosestructure in porcine semimembranosus muscle could be attributed in part to connective tissue propertiespossibly in conjunction with PSE effects.


2016 ◽  
Vol 72 (10) ◽  
pp. 600-603
Author(s):  
Magdalena Górska ◽  
Dorota Wojtysiak

During ageing, meat undergoes many structural and biochemical changes which make it possible to obtain meat of specific taste and physico-chemical parameters. One of the most important quality parameters is meat tenderness and juiciness. This work presents the results of studies concerning the possible effect of intramuscular connective tissue (IMCT) on the final meat quality. The amount, quality and organization of this tissue depend on the type of muscle, as well as its location in the carcass and function in the body. Muscles with high amounts of IMCT are generally less tender due to a considerable collagen content. The breakdown of IMCT network increases collagen solubility and decreases the number of extracellular matrix components, which may lead to increased meat tenderness and reduced meat juiciness. However, the final meat quality is determined not only by the proportion of connective tissue in the muscle structure, the size and organization of collagen fibres, the intramuscular fat content and the total collagen level, but also by the soluble collagen content. The effect of IMCT on the final meat quality requires further research, mainly at the molecular level.


2001 ◽  
Vol 81 (3) ◽  
pp. 321-330 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. L. Aalhus ◽  
J. A. M. Janz ◽  
A. K. W. Tong ◽  
S. D. M. Jones ◽  
W. M. Robertson

The economic advantages of rapid carcass chilling include reduced cooling time, increased carcass processing rate, and decreased shrink and drip losses; however, it may also reduce subsequent meat tenderness, especially in lean carcasses. The present study examined the effects of blast chilling and electrical stimulation on quality of longissimus lumborum (LL) and semimembranosus muscles from carcasses with a wide range in backfat thickness (0 to 69 mm). Despite promoting a wide range in postmortem pH and temperature decline, backfat thickness had a limited effect on meat quality. There was a decrease in the proportion of carcasses with very high (>35 N cm–2) shear values and a tendency (P = 0.12) for the average shear force to decrease in the LL as backfat depth increased. Unexpectedly, leaner carcasses had less shrink loss than fatter carcasses under blast chill conditions. While blast chilling resulted in slightly darker, tougher meat, electrical stimulation was able to reduce these effects. Neither early postmortem pH nor temperature at 10 h was clearly associated with a pattern in shear force, although high pH10 was associated with tough steaks. Blast chilling in combination with electrical stimulation can be recommended to industry as a means to reduce chilling times and shrink losses while producing meat quality that is as good as, or slightly superior to conventionally cooled carcasses. Key words: Beef quality, blast chilling, electrical stimulation, fat thickness


Meat Science ◽  
2022 ◽  
Vol 184 ◽  
pp. 108664
Author(s):  
Gaiming Zhao ◽  
Xueyuan Bai ◽  
Wei Tian ◽  
Ang Ru ◽  
Jiahui Li ◽  
...  

Meat Science ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 149 ◽  
pp. 47-54 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yimin Zhang ◽  
Xiaokai Ji ◽  
Yanwei Mao ◽  
Xin Luo ◽  
Lixian Zhu ◽  
...  

1972 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 229-237
Author(s):  
C. E. Hinks ◽  
J. H. D. Prescott

SUMMARYTwo experiments concerning the effects, on the carcass and meat characteristics of 18-months-old Friesian steers, of variation in grazing intensity and the level of barley feeding with silage are reported.Groups of 12 steers were grazed at different intensities over 5-month grazing periods, such that live-weight differences of 38 kg and 16 kg were recorded at housing. No compensatory growth was recorded during the subsequent winter feeding period.Whilst the grazing treatments had little effect on carcass or meat quality, higher levels of barley feeding with silage over the winter period (710 v. 410 kg/steer) had significant effects on live-weight gain, and increased carcass weight by 21 kg at slaughter. The higher yield of carcass weight was reflected in significant differences in carcass composition, joint proportions and retail cut-out value. Sixty per cent of the carcass weight difference was removed as trim fat. Differences in carcass fatness were not associated with any differences in eating quality.


2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Umer Seid Geletu ◽  
Munera Ahmednur Usmael ◽  
Yesihak Yusuf Mummed ◽  
Abdulmuen Mohammed Ibrahim

Meat is the most valuable livestock product since it is one of the main sources of protein for human consumption. Meat quality can be evaluated according to the following parameters: pH, amount of lactic acid, volatile fatty acids, bounded water, solubility of proteins, color, and tenderness. The meat composition and physical properties of muscles have been characterized for ensuring improved eating quality. Thus, the purpose of this paper was to review the major chemical compositional and physicochemical properties of meat and, at the same time, its quality attributes and factors that affect quality of meat. A number of structural features of meat as connective tissue, muscle fibers, and tendon that attaches the muscle to the bone are visible in joint meat examined through naked eyes. Water is quantitatively the most important component of meat comprising up to 75% of weight. Meat is also composed of amino acids, fatty acids, vitamins, minerals, and other important ingredients. Quality factors perceived by consumers are related to sensory attributes (e.g., color, tenderness, and flavor), nutritional properties (e.g., calories, vitamins’ content, and fatty acids’ profile), and appearance (e.g., exudation, marbling, and visible amount of fat). However, fresh meat quality can be defined instrumentally including composition, nutrients, color, water-holding capacity, tenderness, functionality, flavors, spoilage, and contamination. Visual inspection based on sensory quality attributes and different chemical methods are used to analyze meat quality. Other methods such as computer vision and imaging spectroscopy, gas chromatographic analysis, near-infrared technology, dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, and computerized tomography scanning are also used in the meat industry. So, the aim of the present review is to review quality characteristics of cattle meat and its composition constituents.


Foods ◽  
2022 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 181
Author(s):  
Carlos Álvarez ◽  
Leonard Koolman ◽  
Michael Whelan ◽  
Aidan Moloney

Tenderness, together with flavour, is the main quality trait that defines consumer acceptance of sheep meat. The factors affecting tenderness can be grouped as those influenced before slaughter, in the early post-mortem intervention and, finally, during the aging period. These factors have been extensively studied with respect to tenderness, but the impact of early post-mortem interventions and subsequent aging on the microbial quality of the final products has not been broadly reviewed to date. In this review, the authors summarize the most recent knowledge on lamb meat tenderness management and how such practices may impact the final meat quality, especially its microbial status. The impacts of pre-slaughter factors (age, sex, diet, genotype and transport) and post-mortem interventions (chilling regime, electrical stimulation, or hanging method), are described and comprehensively discussed.


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