title: Exploring the unknowns involved in the transformation of muscle to meat.
abstract: Meat quality development, or the transformation of muscle to meat, involves a myriad of biochemical pathways that are largely well-studied in living muscle tissue. However, these pathways are less predictable when homeostatic ranges are violated. In addition, there is far less known about how various management or environmental stimuli impact these pathways, either by substrate load or altered cellular environment. Likewise, it is largely accepted that oxygen plays little to no role in the conversion of muscle to meat, as anaerobic metabolism predominates in the muscle tissue. Even so, the oxygen tension within the tissues does not fall precipitously at exsanguination. Therefore, transition to an anaerobic environment may impact energy metabolism postmortem. Antemortem handling, on the other hand, clearly impacts meat quality development, yet the exact mechanisms remain a mystery. In this paper, we will attempt to review those factors known to affect postmortem energy metabolism in muscle and explore those areas where additional work may be fruitful.
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal and Poultry Sciences, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA 24061, United States.
authors.forename: E M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: England
authors.forename: T L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Scheffler
authors.forename: S C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Kasten
authors.forename: S K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Matarneh
authors.forename: D E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Gerrard
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004734:Energy Metabolism; D063427:Food Quality; D006019:Glycolysis / Q000502:physiology; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D008460:Meat / Q000032:analysis*; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000378:metabolism; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000378:metabolism*; D011180:Postmortem Changes
keywords: Glycolysis; Mitochondria; Pork; Ultimate pH