title: Tensile strength and the tenderness of beef sternomandibularis muscle.
abstract: In their relationship to shortening, the tensile strength of cooked meat along the fibres and the shearing force measured across them are strikingly similar. Both increase to maximum values at 40% shortening before falling by a half with an approach to 60% shortening. A high correlation (r = 0·81) exists between the two sets of values, whether toughness is increased by cold shortening or reduced by ageing. The mechanical strength of meat along its fibres is therefore a simple measure of tenderness and a useful basis for relating muscle structure to stength.
authors: Meat Industry Research Institute of New Zealand, P.O. Box 617, Hamilton, New Zealand.
authors: C L
authors: CL
authors: Davey
authors: K V
authors: KV
authors: Gilbert