title: On-line prediction of beef quality traits using near infrared spectroscopy.
abstract: The aim of this study was to test the ability of visible-near infrared (Vis-NIR) reflectance spectroscopy to predict beef quality traits in the slaughterhouse by directly applying a fiber-optic probe on the carcass surface. Carcasses from 230 young bulls and heifers slaughtered in two commercial abattoirs were included in the experiment. Vis-NIR spectra were recorded on an exposed surface of M. gracilis in the abattoirs 4 to 6 and 14 to 16 h post mortem. Traits evaluated were pH, color indexes (L*, a*, b*, H, and SI), cooking loss, and Warner-Bratzler shear force. Prediction models were satisfactory for pH and color indexes, and promising for cooking loss but not for Warner-Bratzler shear force. Results of this work show that Vis-NIR spectroscopy may be a useful tool for on-line prediction of some physical beef quality traits when applied directly on the carcass surface.
authors.affiliation: Department of Agronomy, Food, Natural resources, Animals and Environment-DAFNAE, University of Padova, Viale dell'Università 16, 35020 Legnaro-PD, Italy. massimo.demarchi@unipd.it
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: De Marchi
mesh_terms: D000003:Abattoirs; D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D003116:Color; D003296:Cooking; D004032:Diet; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D008297:Male; D008460:Meat / Q000032:analysis* / Q000592:standards; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D019265:Spectroscopy, Near-Infrared / Q000379:methods*; D013314:Stress, Mechanical