title: Effect of subcutaneous fat and high temperature conditioning on bovine meat tenderness.
abstract: Effects of subcutaneous fat cover and high temperature conditioning on tenderness of meat were studied using 16 steer carcasses. Longissimus subcutaneous fat cover was completely removed from eight carcasses and the right and left sides were stored at either 0°C or 26°C. After 6 h at 26°C, the sides were transferred to the 0°C room; and after 24 h, all sides were transferred to a 1°C room for the duration of the experiment. Cold temperature and removal of fat cover reduced (P < 0·05) the longissimus muscle temperature at 6, 9 and 12 h post-mortem. The pH of the longissimus muscle was lower (P < 0·05) as the result of high temperature conditioning and fat cover 6, 9 and 12 h post-mortem. Consequently, conditions existed which would have been expected to promote cold shortening, yet high temperature conditioning and fat cover had no consistent effects on myofibrillar fragmentation index, sarcomere length or shear values.
authors: US Department of Agriculture, ARS, Roman L. Hruska US Meat Animal Research Center, PO Box 166, Clay Center, Nebraska 68933, USA.
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Koohmaraie
authors: S C
authors: SC
authors: Seideman
authors: J D
authors: JD
authors: Crouse