title: Effects of early post-mortem pH and temperature on beef tenderness.
abstract: The tenderness of loin steaks, prepared from beef sides after chilling, is strongly influenced by muscle temperature in the first 3 h after slaughter. Maintenance of about 37°C within the Longissimus muscle during this time, whether by heavy fat cover or by ambient-temperature manipulation, results in appreciable tenderness enhancement. Early post-mortem muscle pH (which varies over a wide range) also affects tenderness significantly; provided early and exceptionally fast chilling does not induce cold shortening, slow glycolysis promotes tenderness. Low-frequency (2 Hz) electrical stimulation, which accelerates glycolysis but causes negligible tissue disruption, significantly toughens the loin; in its normal mode (50-60 Hz), therefore, stimulation produces its desirable tenderising effect mainly-and perhaps solely-by fibre fracture.
authors: Muscle Biology Laboratory, University of Wisconsin, 1805 Linden Drive, Madison, WI 53706, USA.
authors: B B
authors: BB
authors: Marsh
authors: J V
authors: JV
authors: Lochner
authors: G
authors: G
authors: Takahashi
authors: D D
authors: DD
authors: Kragness