title: Genetic and environmental effects on the muscle structure response post-mortem.
abstract: This paper reviewed the mechanisms by which glycolytic rate and pre-rigor stretching of muscle impact on meat quality. If muscle is free to shorten during the rigor process extremes in glycolytic rate can impact negatively on meat quality by inducing either cold or rigor shortening. Factors that contribute to variation in glycolytic rate include the glycogen concentration at slaughter and fibre type of the muscle. Glycolysis is highly sensitive to temperature, which is an important factor in heavy grain fed carcasses. An alternative solution to controlling glycolysis is to stretch the muscle pre-rigor so that it cannot shorten, thus providing an insurance against extremes in processing conditions. Results are presented which show a large reduction in variance (both additive and phenotypic) in tenderness caused by pre-rigor stretching. Whilst this did not impact on the heritability of shear force, it did reduce genotype differences. The implications of these results on the magnitude of genotype effects on tenderness is discussed.
authors: Co-operative Research Centre for Beef Genetic Technologies, School of Rural Science and Agriculture, University of New England, Armidale, NSW 2351, Australia.
authors: J M
authors: JM
authors: Thompson
authors: D
authors: D
authors: Perry
authors: B
authors: B
authors: Daly
authors: G E
authors: GE
authors: Gardner
authors: D J
authors: DJ
authors: Johnston
authors: D W
authors: DW
authors: Pethick