SmartStretch™ technology. I. Improving the tenderness of sheep topsides (m. semimembranosus) using a meat stretching device.
This study evaluated the effect of stretching hot-boned sheep topsides using a pre-production prototype device (SmartStretch™). To test this effect, 40 sheep from 3 consignments were assessed. Left and right topsides were collected pre-rigour and randomly allocated to one of four treatments; 0 days ageing+SmartStretch™, 0 days ageing+no stretch, 5 days ageing+SmartStretch™ and 5 days ageing+no stretch. Meat from the 0 days aged+no stretch treatment was the least tender and the 5 days ageing+SmartStretch™ treatment resulted in the most tender meat. The m. semimembranosus from topsides stretched using the SmartStretch™ prototype device had a lower cooking loss percentage (P<0.001) and longer sarcomeres (P<0.001) than non-stretched m. semimembranosus. There was no effect of SmartStretch™ on myofibrillar degradation measured using particle size analysis (PSA), but there was an ageing effect (P<0.001). The tenderness of stretched m. semimembranosus showed significant improvement over non-stretched m. semimembranosus.
NSW Department of Primary Industries, Dubbo, Australia. Edwina.Toohey@industry.nsw.gov.au
E S
ES
Toohey
R
R
van de Ven
J M
JM
Thompson
G H
GH
Geesink
D L
DL
Hopkins
D000818:Animals; D003296:Cooking; D005511:Food Handling / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D005524:Food Technology; D006801:Humans; D008460:Meat / Q000032:analysis*; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000502:physiology*; D009210:Myofibrils / Q000502:physiology*; D010316:Particle Size; D012518:Sarcomeres / Q000502:physiology*; D034561:Sheep, Domestic; D013314:Stress, Mechanical