Evaluation of the Tenderness of Beef Top Sirloin Steaks

Top sirloin butts and strip loins were obtained from both sides of 20 U.S. Choice beef carcasses and cut into six steaks (2.54 cm thick). These steaks were assigned randomly to one of six aging treatments (0, 7, 14, 21, 28 or 35 days). Top sirloin steaks were less tender and more variable in tenderness than top loin steaks. This difference in tenderness appeared to be due to higher amounts of collagen in top sirloin steaks and a tendency toward lower collagen solubility, shorter sarcomere length and higher (less tender) fragmentation index.     

Aging and Enhancement Effects on Quality Characteristics of Beef Strip Steaks

ABSTRACT: Strip loins were removed 48 h postmortem from beef sides ( n = 20 pairs) to assess the effects of enhancement before or after aging on quality attributes of beef strip steaks. Strip loins were enhanced to 108% of original weight to contain 0.4% alkaline phosphate, 0.3% salt, 0.1% natural flavoring (on a final weight basis), and added water for comparison with non-enhanced samples. Regardless of when enhancement occurred relative to aging, enhanced samples were more tender, juicy, and salty than their non-enhanced counterparts. Enhanced samples were lighter, less red and less yellow, and had lower L *, a *, and b * values than non-enhanced samples; however, they generally had lower hue angles indicating that their color was closer to the true red axis of the color scale. Samples enhanced before aging achieved maximum tenderness after 14 d, whereas those enhanced after aging experienced no tenderness changes. Warner- Bratzler shear values were lower and pH values were higher in enhanced steaks than in controls.     

Bovine longissimus muscle tenderness as affected by postmortem aging time, animal age and sex

Strip loins were removed from 10 bulls and 10 steers ～14 mo old and from 10 cows ≥ 44 mo. Samples were removed at 3, 7, 14, and 28 days postmortem. Shear-force values were measured. Sensory evaluation was done by a 15-member trained panel. Animal age and postmortem aging time had more influence on tenderness attributes than did sex of the animal. Increased postmortem aging time improved tenderness attributes regardless of sex or age.     

Relationship of texture profile analysis and Warner-Bratzler shear force with sensory characteristics of beef rib steaks

Cyclical texture profile analysis (TPA) parameters measured using a star-shaped probe with two cycles of 80% penetration and Warner-Bratzler shear force (WBS) were compared as predictors of objective tenderness and subjective sensory characteristics of rib steaks from 52 beef loins. The TPA parameters of hardness, cohesiveness and chewiness were negatively correlated (P<0.05) with trained panel sensory characteristics of initial tenderness (r=−0.64, −0.41, −0.62, respectively), amount of connective tissue (r=−0.57, −0.27, −0.55, respectively), overall tenderness (r=−0.68, −0.39, −0.64, respectively) and overall palatability (r=−0.56, −0.37, −0.53, respectively). These sensory characteristics were also negatively correlated (P<0.05) with WBS (r=−0.61, −0.49, −0.60, −0.56, respectively). Stepwise regression analysis generated prediction equations that included the TPA parameters of hardness and adhesiveness, which accounted for 47, 36, 51 and 38% of the variation in initial tenderness, amount of connective tissue, overall tenderness and overall palatability, respectively. Prediction equations using WBS accounted for 37, 24, 36 and 31% of the variation in initial tenderness, amount of connective tissue, overall tenderness and overall palatability, respectively. Hence, TPA explained more of the variation in subjective sensory tenderness of the rib steaks than WBS.     

不同注射处理对牛肉剪切力和肌原纤维小片化指数的影响

本文研究了不同注射处理对牛肉在成熟过程中剪切力,肌原纤维小片化指数(MFI)的影响。3头改良黄牛(鲁西黄牛×犁木赞)在屠宰厂按照标准的屠宰工艺屠宰并预冷20h后取样,将样品给予7个不同的处理,每个处理分别按样品重10%注射蒸馏水(作为对照)、200mmol/L CaCl2、200mmol/L EGTA、200mmool/L ZnCl2、0.2mg/ml亮肽素、0.2mg/ml亮肽素 1%Triton X-100、1%Triton X-100,处理后将样品分别成熟3、8、16d后测一些指标变化。结果发现注射外源性钙激活酶抑制剂(亮肽素,ZnCl2)显著降低了牛肉的成熟速度,使牛肉剪切力增加,MFI降低;而注射CaCl2则相反,且注射CaCl2后牛肉成熟4d时的剪切力和对照组成熟16d时的差异不显著(p>0.05)。     

Consumer Acceptability of Beef Steak Tenderness in the Home and Restaurant

Acceptability of beef steak tenderness in home and restaurant environments was evaluated by 62 consumers. Steaks (loin, ribeye, or bottom and top round) were consumed by each panelist in their home and in a fine dining restaurant. Each consumer rated steaks for tenderness and overall acceptability in the home (over a 2-mo period) and one steak per week (over a 7-wk period) in the restaurant. Acceptability for steaks consumed at home and in the restaurant ranked between 3 (moderately tough) and 4 (slightly tough) on an 8-point scale. The Warner-Bratzler Shear force transition level for beef tenderness acceptability in the home was between 4.6 and 5.0 kg and in the restaurant between 4.3 and 5.2 kg. The unacceptable level of beef steak tenderness was ≤4.3 kg. Results suggested that consumers were more critical of beef tenderness in the home than in restaurants. Consumer responses may have been influenced by receiving free meals in the home or restaurant, as well as by the dining environment.     

新疆褐牛不同部位牛肉肌纤维类型及品质差异研究

为了研究新疆褐牛不同部位牛肉肌纤维类型组成及品质差异,测定了冈上肌、冈下肌、臂三头肌、腰大肌、背最长肌、半腱肌、半膜肌和股二头肌的肌纤维特性和品质特性,并通过相关性分析研究了牛肉品质和肌纤维特性之间的相关性。结果显示腰大肌、背最长肌和股二头肌分别具有最高的Ⅰ型、ⅡA型和ⅡB型肌纤维比例,八个部位肉的肌纤维直径为ⅡB型>ⅡA型>Ⅰ型,且腰大肌三种肌纤维类型直径均小于其他部位。冈上肌具有较低的b^*值,冈下肌具有较低的剪切力、蒸煮损失率;臂三头肌具有较高的剪切力,腰大肌具有较低的剪切力、硬度、胶着性和pH,较高的粘聚性和压力失水率;背最长肌具有较低的咀嚼性、回复性和弹性;半腱肌具有较低的压力失水率、粘聚性和回复性,较高的L^*值;半膜肌具有较低的L^*值和咀嚼性,股二头肌具有较高的弹性、胶着性和咀嚼性。Ⅰ型、ⅡA型和ⅡB型纤维面积、直径与剪切力、硬度和蒸煮损失显著正相关(p<0.05),与压力失水率显著负相关(p<0.01);Ⅰ型肌纤维比例与硬度、剪切力显著负相关(p<0.05),ⅡB型肌纤维比例与剪切力正相关。结果表明,肌肉部位显著影响牛肉品质,特别是嫩度,增加Ⅰ型肌纤维比例、减少ⅡB型肌纤维比例均有利于提高牛肉嫩度。     

宰后成熟过程中猪肉保水性的变化

以三元猪背最长肌为研究对象,在第4、8、12、16、20、24、28、32和36 h分别检测蒸煮损失率、滴水损失率、贮藏损失率、剪切力值和pH值的变化情况,研究宰后成熟过程中猪肉保水性的变化规律。结果表明,蒸煮损失率呈先升高后降低的趋势,在第20 h蒸煮损失率达到最大值32.80%;贮藏损失率和滴水损失率呈先下降后上升再下降的趋势;剪切力值在4~12 h内显著性上升（p<0.05）,且在12 h达到最大62.29 N;pH值呈整体先下降后上升再下降最后趋于稳定的变化趋势;其中,成熟时间与剪切力值呈显著负相关（p<0.01）,pH值与蒸煮损失率呈极显著负相关（p<0.01）,滴水损失率与贮藏损失率呈较高的相关性（p<0.01）。综合指标,猪肉在宰后成熟36 h内保水性有先变弱后增强的趋势,在12~16 h内进入僵直高峰点,随后进入解僵成熟期。该研究结果可为后续深入研究宰后成熟过程中猪肉嫩度变化规律及机理提供基础指标和参考依据。     

Optical scattering in beef steak to predict tenderness using hyperspectral imaging in the VIS-NIR region

The objective of this research is to develop a non-destructive method for predicting cooked beef tenderness using optical scattering of light on fresh beef muscle tissue. A hyperspectral imaging system (λ = 496–1,036 nm) that consists of a CCD camera and an imaging spectrograph, was used to acquire beef steak images. The hyperspectral image consisted of 120 bands with spectral intervals of 4.54 nm. Sixty-one fresh beef steaks, including 44 strip loin and 17 tenderloin cuts, were collected. After imaging, the steaks were cooked and Warner-Bratzler shear (WBS) force values were collected as tenderness references. The optical scattering profiles were derived from the hyperspectral images and fitted to the modified Lorentzian function. Parameters, such as the peak height, full scattering width at half maximum (FWHM), and the slope around the FWHM were determined at each wavelength. Stepwise regression was used to identify 7 key wavelengths and parameters. The parameters were then used to predict the WBS scores. The model was able to predict WBS scores with an R = 0.67. Optical scattering implemented with hyperspectral imaging shows limited success for predicting current status of tenderness in beef steak.     

Measurement of Muscle Exudate Protein Composition as an Indicator of Beef Tenderness

The objective of this study was to determine the relationship between the protein composition of muscle exudates and meat tenderness in beef. Frozen, intact beef strip loins (n = 24) were each divided into 3 equal portions (anterior, middle, and posterior). Steaks were removed from each portion, individually vacuum packaged, thawed at 4 °C, and aged for 0, 7, or 14 d. After the designated aging period, exudate was collected from the packaging and 1 steak from each strip loin portion was utilized for shear force measurements. Muscle exudates were analyzed for protein content (biuret assay) and composition (sodium dodecyl sulfate–polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis). Shear force decreased (P < 0.0001) with aging from 0 to 14 d. The protein concentrations of the muscle exudates were not influenced by the aging period and were not related to the amount of exudate expressed. Electrophoretic analyses of the muscle exudates indicated that with aging the relative abundance of 4 proteins decreased (P < 0.01) and 10 proteins increased (P < 0.05) within the protein profiles of the exudates. The relative abundance of the 167, 97, and 47 kDa proteins in exudates at day 0 were significantly correlated (|r| = 0.57 to 0.77) to shear force at day 14. These data demonstrate that exudate protein composition changes with postmortem aging and beef tenderness.     

不同电刺激处理时间对宰后马肉成熟过程中嫩度的影响

采用不同电刺激处理时间对宰后马肉进行处理,对马肉成熟过程中的蒸煮损失率、剪切力、可溶性蛋白浓度(soluble protein concentration,SPC)、肌原纤维小片化指数(myofibrillar fragmentation index,MFI)、胶原蛋白溶解性及微观结构进行研究。结果表明:不同电刺激处理时间对宰后马肉成熟过程中的蒸煮损失率没有显著影响(P0.05);在一定电刺激处理时间范围内,马肉成熟过程中剪切力下降,SPC上升,MFI上升,胶原蛋白溶解性上升。实验条件下电刺激60 s对改善马肉的嫩度具有较好的效果,进一步延长电刺激处理时间对嫩度的改善效果不明显。电刺激60 s、成熟14 d时,马肉剪切力较对照组下降了13.8%,SPC与MFI分别是对照组的1.16倍与1.28倍,电刺激破坏了马肉的肌纤维结构。适当的电刺激处理能够促进宰后马肉的成熟,使较为粗糙的马肉得到有效的嫩化。本研究为马肉电刺激嫩化机理及产品开发提供了一定的理论依据。     

宰后牦牛肉成熟过程中钙激活酶与嫩度指标的相关性分析

以10头甘南牦牛为研究对象,对宰后8d成熟期间肌原纤维小片化指数、剪切力、肌纤维直径、μ-钙蛋白酶(μ-calpain)、m-钙蛋白酶(m-calpain)、钙蛋白酶抑素(calpastatin)的活力进行了测定,同时研究了3种酶活力与肌原纤维小片化指数、剪切力、肌纤维直径3个嫩度指标之间的相关性.结果表明:μ-calpain、m-calpain、calpastatin 3种酶与剪切力值及肌纤维直径均呈正相关;3种酶与肌原纤维小片化指数呈负相关,其中μ-calpain与calpastatin呈显著负相关(P＜0.05).因此,钙激活酶活力的变化可能导致了肌原纤维小片化指数的增加,肌原纤维的弱化和肉的嫩化,μ-calpain可能是牦牛肉嫩化的主要贡献者.     

近红外光谱技术快速测定鹅肉嫩度

目的：应用近红外光谱技术快速检测鹅肉的嫩度值。方法：采集完整鹅肉的近红外光谱（950～ 1 650 nm）,光谱经多种校正预处理后,再分别采用主成分回归和偏最小二乘法建立鹅肉嫩度的定量预测数学模 型。结果：采用5点移动窗口平滑处理结合偏最小二乘法所建立模型的预测效果最好,嫩度定量校正数学模型的模 型决定系数为0.908 0,内部交互验证均方根误差为113.618 6。用此模型对预测集20 个样品进行预测,预测值与实 测值的相关系数达到0.971 1,预测值平均偏差为21.673 g,预测值和实测值之间没有显著性差异（P＞0.05）。结 论：近红外光谱作为一种无损快速的检测方法,可用于评价鹅肉的嫩度。     

Alterations in the sarcoplasmic protein fraction of beef muscle with postmortem aging and hydrodynamic pressure processing

Abstract: Capillary electrophoresis (CE) and reversed‐phase high performance liquid chromatography (RP‐HPLC) analyses were utilized to detect differences in the sarcoplasmic protein fractions of beef strip loins subjected to aging and hydrodynamic pressure processing (HDP) treatments. At 48 h postmortem, strip loins (n= 12) were halved and subjected to control or HDP treatments. Following treatment, each half was divided into 3 portions which were aged for 0, 5, and 8 d. After each aging period, steaks were removed for Warner–Bratzler shear force (WBSF) analysis and for the extraction of sarcoplasmic proteins which were analyzed by CE and RP‐HPLC. Aging by HDP interactions were not detected using either separation technique. With CE analysis, no HDP effects were observed; however, the relative peak area of 8 protein peaks ranging in size from 17 to >200 kDa were influenced by postmortem aging. Separation of proteins by RP‐HPLC demonstrated that HDP influenced the relative size of 2 protein peaks while postmortem aging effects were observed in 6 peaks. Alterations in the sarcoplasmic protein fractions detected by both CE and RP‐HPLC were correlated to WBSF measurements. Overall, data demonstrate that HDP has minimal effects on sarcoplasmic proteins and that aging related changes in the water soluble protein fractions of muscle may be useful as indirect indicators of beef tenderness. Practical Application: Using 2 different postmortem tenderization techniques, aging and hydrodynamic pressure processing, this study demonstrates that postmortem changes in the soluble protein fraction of beef may be useful as potential indicators of meat tenderness.     

Effect of electrical stimulation,delayed chilling and post‐mortem aging on the quality of M. longissimus dorsi and M. biceps femoris of grass‐fed steers

BACKGROUND: Roughage‐based low‐input beef production systems are gaining increasing interest owing to the perceived ecological advantages and potential health benefits associated with the favourable fatty acid composition of such beef. The low plane of nutrition may on the other hand yield less tender beef by affecting growth, carcass weight and fatness and therefore, indirectly, early post‐mortem (p.m.) proteolytic enzyme activity and sarcomere shortening. This study aimed to examine delayed chilling and electrical stimulation as promising techniques to control early p.m. muscle metabolism in a way that improves the tenderness of beef from purely grass‐fed steers in comparison with that from steers receiving a finishing diet with concentrates. RESULTS: Electrical stimulation decreased the pH at 1.5 and 3 h p.m. in the M. longissimus dorsi (LD) and M. biceps femoris (BF) of the treated carcass sides as well as the maximum shear force in the LD, while delayed chilling had no effect on pH or texture. The interactions of carcass fatness with electrical stimulation (P = 0.025) and delayed chilling (P = 0.089) indicated more pronounced effects of the p.m. treatments on beef texture in leaner carcasses. CONCLUSION : Electrical stimulation, but not delayed chilling, could markedly improve pasture beef texture and reduce the aging period needed for proper tenderisation. Copyright © 2008 Society of Chemical Industry     

Changes in Tenderness, Color, and Water Holding Capacity of Broiler Breast Meat during Postdeboning Aging

ABSTRACT:  The impact of postharvest aging on the tenderness, color, water holding capacity, and appearance of broiler breast fillets after deboning was investigated. A total of 360 broilers were processed and deboned at either 1.5-, 3-, or 6-h postmortem (PM) and aged at 4 ± 1 °C for up to 6 d. Tenderness was predicted by the Meullenet–Owens razor shear. Drip loss, cook loss, color, and muscle-shape profiles were also evaluated during the 6-d aging duration. Deboned fillets were in the tenderness range corresponding to "neither tough nor tender" for the first 2 d of aging and changed into "slightly tender" after 3 d of aging according to the instrument-tenderness perception equivalent scale. Tenderization due to postdeboning aging seemed to be more pronounced for fillets deboned in a prerigor state (that is, 1.5- and 3-h PM). Over the aging period, tenderness improved by 6.9 and 7.4 percentage points for the 1.5- and 3-h PM treatments, respectively, while those fillets deboned in a postrigor state (6-h PM) exhibited no significant difference in tenderness. Drip and cook loss of fillets consistently increased over the aging period. The color of fillets tended to become less red and more yellow during aging although there was no significant difference in  L *. Overall, the tenderizing effects of deboned broiler breast fillets during the storage of 6 d were minimal but seemed to be affected by fillet height and length as determined through analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) and K-means clustering analysis. Thicker and tougher fillets were more susceptible to the tenderizing effects during postdeboning aging.     

宰后颈臂束缚技术对牛肉品质的影响

颈臂束缚技术是一种在跟腱吊挂基础上,于牛胴体前臂远端与颈前端之间施加一径向外力使之收紧,从而 加快肉牛胴体成熟的技术。为研究该技术对牛肉品质的影响,选取6 头年龄和活体质量相近的新疆褐牛,屠宰后左 半侧胴体采用颈臂束缚技术成熟（实验组）,右半侧胴体采用传统跟腱吊挂方式成熟（对照组）,分别于宰后0、 1、2、3、7、14、21 d测定牛臂三头肌、背最长肌和股二头肌三部位的pH值、失水率、蒸煮损失率、剪切力和肌纤 维超微结构等指标。结果表明：与对照组相比,实验组肉样失水率增加、剪切力降低、肌原纤维小片化指数增大, 且差异显著,肌原纤维结构破坏更为严重。颈臂束缚成熟技术可以缩短牛肉的宰后成熟时间,降低工厂生产成本, 提高生产效率。     

Effects of Carcass Weight Class and Postmortem Aging on Carcass Characteristics and Sensory Attributes in Grain-Fed Veal

ABSTRACT Thirty-six Holstein bull calves were used to examine the effects of carcass weight and postmortem aging on carcass characteristics and sensory attributes of grain-fed veal. Three carcass weight classes (hide-on) included light (< 165 kg), medium (177 to 186 kg), and heavy (195 to 204 kg) with 12 animals per class. Postslaughter, longissimus (LM) and semimembranosus (SM) roasts were aged for 2, 7, and 14 d. Carcass characteristics were generally similar (P > 0.10) across weight class. Weight class did not affect (P > 0.10) tenderness in LM or SM or flavor in LM. Longissimus muscle from light weight carcasses were juicier (P < 0.07) than heavier carcasses while flavor was lower in SM for medium compared with heavy carcasses. Aging tended to increase (P < 0.100) tenderness attributes for LM and SM. Veal flavor increased (P=.014) with 7 d aging for LM. Postmortem aging should be considered for routine processing of veal to improve meat quality.     

Electrical Stimulation and 48 Hours Aging of Bull and Steer Carcasses

Bull (n = 30) and steer (n = 30) carcasses were measured for meat quality in the longissimus muscle after 48 hr on electrically stimulated (ES) sides or after 6 days on their unstimulated counterparts. Electrical stimulation and 48 hr aging had the same tenderizing effect as a 6 day aging period on both bulls and steers. Compared to meat from steers, that from bulls was tougher and had higher ultimate pH values and collagen contents. On an overall quality basis however, ES meat aged for 48 hrs was equivalent to nonstimulated meat aged for 6 days.