Effects of low-voltage electrical stimulation during exsanguination on meat quality and display colour stability

Five steers from each of four slaughter groups were randomly assigned to a low-voltage electrical stimulation (LVES) treatment during exsanguination (within 5 min after stunning) and five served as controls (C). LVES consisted of 50V of 60 Hz alternating current (1 s on and 1 s off for 2 min).

At 28 h, LVES longissimus (LM) was lighter in colour, softer, coarser in texture and tended to have lower marbling estimates than C. LVES LM steaks were lighter red at 0 and 1 days, but more discoloured at 5 days, of display than C steaks. Both the deep (DSM) and superficial (SSM) portions of LVES semimembranosus (SM) steaks were lighter red at 0 and 1 days of display than C steaks. Water-holding capacity for LVES LM and DSM steaks was lower than for C steaks. A trained sensory panel found LVES LM steaks to be less juicy and less tender than C steaks. Also, LVES LM steaks had greater cooking losses than C steaks in two of the four slaughter groups. We conclude that LVES during exsanguination, coupled with relatively slow initial chilling, may be detrimental to muscle quality.     

Effects of rigor attainment temperature on meat blooming and colour on display

This paper describes the colour properties of seven hot-boned, unstimulated beef striploins during rigor attainment at 9, 14 and 24°C, during blooming at 4°C, and after storage at -1°C for 0, 2 and 8 weeks. Immediately after rigor attainment (0 weeks of storage) full blooming, as judged by L* and chroma, took at least 12 h. After 2 and 8 weeks storage, blooming was complete within about 4 h. The exponential equations describing blooming were different for 0 weeks compared with 2 and 8 weeks. This difference can be explained in terms of oxygen consumption by meat freshly in rigor. At 0 weeks, meat that entered rigor at 24°C had the best bloomed colour, whereas at 2 and 8 weeks the 9°C treatment had the best and the 24°C the worst. The data set, which spanned a range of ultimate pH values and three rigor attainment temperatures, was used to estimate the value of early colour measurements (first 24 h post-rigor) in predicting colour during display several weeks later. As judged by correlation coefficients, early measurements of hue were the only ones useful. L* and chroma were poor predictors. This result, together with the knowledge that blooming is slow in the first 24 h post-rigor, casts doubt on the value of subjective or objective colour assessments made in chillers. Temperature of rigor attainment between 9 and 24°C did not affect the time of browning onset, nor the rate of browning. It was confirmed that meat with lower pH had higher chroma before and after blooming.     

Effects of low-frequency electrical stimulation on beef tenderness

The application of 2 Hz, 500 V electrical stimulation to early post-mortem beef sides causes rapid muscle glycolysis, yet produces no trace of the extensive tissue rupture effected by 60 Hz current. By means of this low frequency technique, coupled with a mild or delayed-chill routine, we have examined the supposed tenderizing effect of rapid pH decline alone, without concurrent fiber fracture or cold-shortening intervention. Loin steaks from sides receiving this treatment were significantly tougher than those from paired control sides, an observation strongly suggesting that tenderization is hindered by rapid glycolysis. In other experiments, 60 Hz 500-V current was found to produce very extensive fracturing with breaks appearing (on average) every 6 mm of fiber length; this treatment resulted in a very significant tenderizing relative to that observed in the unstimulated control sides. It is concluded that, apart from its ability to prevent cold-shortening, normal-frequency high-voltage stimulation exerts its beneficial tenderizing action by fracturing the fibres; the accompanying acceleration of glycolysis actually causes a small, but definite, negative effect on eating quality.     

The colour and colour stability of beef Longissimus dorsi and Semimembranosus muscles after effective electrical stimulation

The influence of effective low voltage electrical stimulation (ES) of beef on the colour and colour stability of longissimus dorsi (LD) and semimembranosus (SM) muscles, during storage and retail display was studied by tristimulus colorimetry and reflectance spectrophotometry. ES had no significant effect on the colour of the LD muscles, but some significant effects on SM muscles of ultimate pH 5·5-5·7. Three hours after slicing into steaks at 5 days post mortem, stimulated SM muscles had a paler/lighter colour than non-stimulated controls. During a retail display of 3 days, all steaks exhibited a loss of colour quality manifested in loss of redness and decreases in both hue and chroma (saturation). These changes were most marked in the stimulated SM muscles, and analysis indicated that they were due almost exclusively to the formation of metmyoglobin (metMb). Ageing the meat, as primals cuts, for 33 days at 0°C led to no significant differences in the perceived colour three hours after slicing. The colour changes observed during the 3-day retail display of steaks occurred more rapidly in both (ES and non-ES) 33 day-aged samples than in the 5 day-aged ones. The result of this was that the colour stability of non-stimulated steaks prepared at 33 days was similar to that of ES steaks prepared fresh (5 day post mortem). In SM muscles of pH 5·8-6·0 the apparent differences in colour of the ES and non-ES samples were not significant. However, meat of pH > 5·8, although darker than meat of lesser pH, had less tendency to form metmyoglobin during retail display.

The present work also confirmed that seemingly small differences in display conditions, especially temperature, have a marked effect on metmyoglobin formation.     

The biochemical and physical effects of electrical stimulation on beef and sheep meat tenderness

Application of electrical stimulation in the sheep and beef processing industry has been erratic around the world and this may reflect an incomplete knowledge of how to optimise the technology. Although it is well established that stimulation increases the rate of post-mortem glycolysis, other biochemical and biophysical effects have been implicated with the use of this technology. This review seeks to examine the current theories about the effect of stimulation on post-mortem muscle. The classical view that stimulation prevents muscle from shortening excessively during rigor development has been expanded to include the possibility that it also results in physical disruption of muscle structure. The interaction of these effects with the acceleration of the rate of proteolysis through activation of the calpain protease system has not been comprehensively reviewed in the past. Thus there are two mechanisms which could explain the effect of stimulation on tenderisation, reduced 'cold-induced' shortening and alteration of protein structure. A secondary effect is the enhancement of the rate of proteolysis stimulated by release of Ca (2+) at a higher temperature. As a result of this review we highlight several areas that may prove fruitful for further research. The challenge for further development of electrical stimulation systems is optimisation of the activation of the enzyme systems in parallel with manipulation of chilling regimes so as to ensure rigor mortis is achieved at temperatures which minimise shortening. These optimal temperatures largely established at a fixed incubation temperature for detached muscle may be different when measured in intact carcasses. The potential of regional stimulation of sections of the carcass to achieve this outcome is worthy of study given the different fibre composition of muscles and temperature gradients. In addition, to ensure that appropriate amounts of energy are applied to individual carcasses, development of self-response stimulation units, which are able to determine carcass resistance and apply appropriate durations or strengths of stimulation is worthy of future research. This would lead to more effective electrical stimulation practices.     

Effects of electrical stimulation and temperature on beef quality and tenderness

Beef carcasses were stimulated with either 50 or 500 V and exposed to three chilling temperatures during the first 3 to 9 h post mortem. Both high (HV) and low voltage (LV) electrical stimulation (ES) treatments improved lean maturity scores, lowered the pH values at 2 h through 12 h and reduced the time required for the ATP level to reach minimum values. Both HV-ES and LV-ES treatments influenced firmness, fragmentation and connective tissue (CT) residue as measured by sensory panel and reduced Instron shear value (ISV) of loin steaks. The 30°C temperature treatment had an adverse effect while the 20°C temperature treatment had a beneficial effect on ISV and panel ratings for firmness and CT residue. There was an interaction between conditioning treatments and ES for ISV and sensory panel traits. The LV-ES-20C treatment resulted in the lowest ISV and superior panel ratings; however, the LV-ES-30C treatment had ISV and sensory panel ratings that were similar to the NES-2C (control) group.     

The effects of electrical stimulation, thawing, ageing and packaging on the colour and display life of lamb chops

Electrical stimulation, freezing and thawing, ageing and type of packaging used during ageing are factors which could influence the final colour of meat. The experiment reported here determined the individual and additive effects of these factors in displayed lamb. Initial panel scores for colour of chops were increased by electrical stimulation and decreased by thawing and by ageing for up to six weeks. Chops from loins which had been aged in vacuum pack had higher initial scores than those aged in oxygen-permeable film. Hunter colour values for chops from stimulated carcasses were much less variable than those for chops from unstimulated carcasses. Stimulation, therefore, produced a more uniform product. Hunter L, a and b values all declined during display, the greatest decline being in a (redness). Hunter values were not good predictors of initial panel scores but Hunter a and hue (a b ) both declined with panel scores. With no ageing, the display life of stimulated chilled lamb was longer than that of unstimulated lamb, but this advantage disappeared after ageing for 2 weeks in a vacuum pack. The display life of thawed unstimulated lamb was only slightly inferior to that of chilled unstimulated lamb when both were vacuum-packed, but thawed stimulated lamb resulted in a much reduced display life. Ageing of loins in oxygen-permeable film adversely affected display life of chops. Total drip loss from rigor to the end of display was significantly affected by all treatments except stimulation. The dominant cause of drip loss was the freeze-thaw treatment. In chilled and thawed lamb, ageing increased drip. Packaging had a lesser effect on drip.     

Effects of surgical and immunocastration of beef cattle on meat colour,post-mortem glycolytic metabolites and fibre type distribution

Male cattle were emasculated by total castration, vasectomy or immunocastration and one group was left entire. The effects of the treatments on meat quality related parameters were examined. Dark cutting beef was undetected in the steers and occurred at only very low levels in the other male types. Steers had histochemical profiles significantly different from those of the other male types. Total castration seems to produce more profound physiological changes than vasectomy and immunocastration.     

The impact of new generation pre-dressing medium-voltage electrical stimulation on tenderness and colour stability in lamb meat

Previous work identified that a large number of domestic lamb carcases processed in Australia do not meet the recommended pH/temperature window during chilling. New medium voltage electrical stimulation technology has been developed to alleviate this problem. This study used an optimised setting (800mA with a pulse width 0.5ms) to evaluate the effects on meat quality with a focus on tenderness and meat colour. In total 40 (electrically stimulated) and 40 (non electrically stimulated) lambs from 11 lots killed over 2 days were evaluated. There was a significant difference (P<0.05) between stimulation treatments for initial pH, rate of pH decline and the predicted temperature at pH 6.0. There was also a large difference in the number of carcases that met the recommended window (pH of 6.0, between 18 and 25°C), with an average 67.5% of stimulated carcases and 25% of unstimulated carcases meeting or falling just above the recommended window. The stimulation treatment had no significant (P>0.05) effect on sarcomere length or myofibrillar fragmentation index (MFI) of the m. longissimus (LL). After 1day of ageing LL samples from stimulated carcases had a significantly lower (P<0.05) shear force than non stimulated samples, but there was no difference between stimulation treatments after 5 days ageing. However, ageing period did have a significant effect (P<0.001) on both MFI and shear force, such that 5days aged product had higher MFI and lower shear force values. There were minimal effects of stimulation on colour stability.     

The electrical stimulation of beef carcasses

Beef carcasses were stimulated shortly after slaughter at varying voltage, pulse frequency and duration, with the aim of accelerating the fall of pH, destruction of ATP and onset of rigor in the muscles, so that the meat could be chilled rapidly after slaughter without danger of cold-shortening. Optimal effects were produced at 700 V, 25 Hz for 2 min, to give a total of 3000 pulses. In undressed carcasses stimulation induced a pH fall to 6.0 within 1 h of slaughter and to 5.7 within 2.5 h in the major muscles of the forelimb, back and thigh, representing a gain of more than 8 h over the time required in unstimulated carcasses hanging at 16°C. Similar results were obtained with dressed carcasses and sides, after allowing for the 50 min or so lost in dressing. The apparently high rate of pH fall from 6.3 to 5.7 after stimulation had ceased, compared with that over the same pH range in unstimulated carcasses, can be attributed mainly to the different muscle temperatures in the two cases (38 and 26°C respectively, in four major muscles). The muscles of stimulated carcasses showed no deleterious effects of stimulation. The observed drip loss from the hindlimb jointed 6 days after slaughter was not significantly greater than that from unstimulated carcasses.     

Effects of chopping time, meat source and storage temperature on the colour of New Zealand type fresh beef sausages

The colour stability of finely chopped fresh sausages made from post-rigor, pre-rigor salt added (1.5% w/w) or pre-rigor no salt added beef mince was evaluated using a Hunter Miniscan (L (?) a (?) b (?)) and sensory colour panel. Batters were chopped for various times and sausages stored at -1.5 °, + 4.0 ° and + 8.0 °C. Regardless of meat source or chopping time, colour stability was greatest at -1.5 °C. Panellists found the colour of all sausages stored at -1.5 °C acceptable for at least six days. Sausages made from unsalted pre-rigor mince had markedly better colour stability than those made from the other meats, especially when stored at 4 °C or 8 °C.     

Effects of 2-Hz and 60-Hz electrical stimulation on the microstructure of beef

A comparative electron-microscope study was made of the structural changes brought about in bovine longissimus dorsi muscle by 2-Hz and 60-Hz electrical stimulation. Apart from the frequency difference, the two treatments were identical: 500V AC, 600 pulses (2Hz × 300s and 60 Hz × 10 s), and a time of application of about 40 min post mortem. The low-frequency current produced no detectable tissue disruption or irregularity in sarcomere length, whereas the 60-Hz treatment caused widespread supercontraction and the formation of contraction nodes; many sarcomeres in the internodal zones were stretched or fractured. The observations confirm and extend those of our earlier light-microscope study, and support the view that fiber disruption contributes significantly to the tenderizing effect of high-voltage electrical stimulation.     

The effects of electrical stimulation and ageing on beef tenderness

Seventeen beef carcasses from cattle with a range of breeds, ages and body conditions were used in this trial. The four treatments applied to each carcass were control (C), electrical stimulation (ES), ageing for 28 days (A) and electrical stimulation plus ageing for 28 days (ES + A). Post-mortem muscle pH was measured at 0, 0·5, 4 and 24h post-stimulation. Significantly lower muscle pH values (P < 0·01) were achieved by the stimulated carcass side sompared to the unstimulated side at 0·5 (pH 6·47 vs. 6·91) and 4 h (pH 5·96 vs. 6·44) post-stimulation.

Warner-Bratzler shear and taste panel methods were used to assess the tenderness of Longissimus dorsi muscle samples from each of the four treatments. The ES, A and ES + A treatments were significantly more tender (P < 0·01) than the control treatment. The ES and the A treatments resulted in a similar improvement in tenderness compared to the control. The ES + A treatment was significantly more tender (P < 0·01) than the ES treatment alone, but there was no significant difference in tenderness between the A and the ES + A treatments.     

Hot deboning beef with and without electrical stimulation

Two hot deboning procedures for producing vacuum packed primal beef joints were compared with conventional side chilling followed by cold deboning. Cold shortening toughness was avoided in the hot procedures either by a delay before chilling or by electrical stimulation of the carcass. Overall evaporative losses were 0·6% with hot deboning and 1·9% with cold deboning. Hot deboning reduced drip loss but the effect was smaller after electrical stimulation. The colour of large muscles which cool unevenly on the side was more uniform after hot deboning, but again the improvement was smaller after electrical stimulation. There was no difference in bacterial contamination or growth on hot and cold deboned meat, and instrumental and sensory assessments confirmed that eating quality was similar for all three treatments.     

Effects of electrical stimulation, followed by moderate cooling, on meat quality characteristics of veal Longissimus dorsi

Three groups of male Friesian veal calves (in total, 92) were slaughtered in separate series. Within each group, a subgroup (selected on the basis of blood characteristics determined 1 week ante mortem) was electrically stimulated immediately after bleeding (64 s-Mitab® Low voltage unit). Carcasses were transferred ca. 25 min post mortem (pm) to a cooler at 6°C and ca 2 h pm to a cooler at 3°C.

Electrical stimulation (ES) increased brightness and, to a lesser extent, yellowness, of the freshly cut surface (6th rib Longissimus dorsi, 24 h pm) but resulted also in a diminished water-holding capacity (WHC) of the veal meat. The effect of ES on tenderness (Warner-Bratzler shear force, 48 h pm) is positive for two of the three groups but negative for the third. This indicates that ES probably results in two opposite effects on tenderness—‘toughening’, as a result of the sarcomere shortening which occurred in all three groups, and ‘tenderizing’, as a result of microscopical fibre disruption. Our data indicate that disadvantages of ES may outweigh advantages when followed by moderate cooling.     

The effect of chilling, electrical stimulation and conditioning on pork eating quality

The effect of three different post-slaughter treatments and subsequent conditioning times on the eating quality of pork was studied, using a total of 72 pigs (80–90 kg live wt). The treatments were: (A) holding in air at > 10°C for 3 h, followed by chilling in air at 1°C; (B) chilling in air at 1°C; (C) high voltage electrical stimulation (ES) at 20 min post-slaughter, followed by Treatment B. The quality attributes were measured in M. longissimus thoracis et lumborum (LTL) and in M. semimembranosus (Sm).

There was little difference in cooling rate between the three treatments; the major effect on quality came from the use of ES in Treatment C. ES reduced pH at 45 min by approximately 0·3 units, and achieved pH values at 3 h post-slaughter of 5·64 (LTL) and 5·87 (Sm) but did not produce PSE meat. Drip losses were generally low, but were slightly higher with Treatment C. By all three instrumental texture parameters, LTL from Treatment C was significantly more tender than from A and B at 4, 7 and 12 days post-slaughter, suggesting that either some cold toughening with A and B was overcome by ES in treatment C or that ES had some other beneficial action. Conditioning at 1°C improved the tenderness of LTL from 4 to 7 days and further to 12 days. Taste panelling of loin chops and Sm roasts confirmed that Treatment C gave significantly more tender meat than A and B, and that ageing from 4 to 7 days and further to 12 days significantly improved tenderness. High voltage electrical stimulation at 20 min post-slaughter followed by cooling in air at 1°C (Treatment C) produced loin muscle which was more tender at 4 days than at 12 days with the other treatments.     

The effect of time and type of electrical stimulation on the calpain system and meat tenderness in beef longissimus dorsi muscle

Effects of type and time of electrical stimulation on the calpain system, sensory and objective meat quality in the M. longissimus thoracis et lumborum from 38 pasture-fed carcasses, were investigated under conventional chilling conditions. High voltage stimulation was applied to whole carcasses at 3 min post-mortem (pm) and to sides at either 40 or 60 min pm, whilst low voltage stimulation was applied to whole carcasses at 3 min pm and to sides at 40 min pm. Unstimulated sides served as controls. The levels of extractable μ-calpain and calpastatin decreased during stimulation by 28-44% and 8-17%, respectively. Shear force and adjusted tenderness score showed that stimulation at 3 min, irrespective of type of stimulation, resulted in significantly tougher meat (P<0.05) which was associated with an rapid rate of pH decline, compared to stimulation at 40 min. Higher calpastatin levels soon after stimulation at 3 min (P < 0.05) and lower μ-calpain level at 24 h pm for high voltage stimulation at 3 min (P<0.05) coincided with the tougher meat. On the other hand, high voltage stimulation at 40 and 60 min resulted in similar tenderness and levels of μ-calpain and calpastatin post-stimulation and 24 h pm. Significantly tougher meat from the control sides, with a higher μ-calpain levels at 24 h pm and similar sarcomere length, compared to those from low voltage stimulation at 40 min (P<0.001), appeared to be linked to the later activation of the calpain system. Results from the current study suggest that early application of stimulation may be associated with a very rapid decline in pH and consequently a reduction in meat quality.     

Variation in the response to manipulation of post-mortem glycolysis in beef muscles by low-voltage electrical stimulation and conditioning temperature

The aim of this study was to investigate how manipulation of glycolytic rate by post-mortem processing conditions influences quality of aged beef of two bovine muscles of different physiological character, longissimus dorsi (LD) and adductor (AD). Post-mortem glycolysis was manipulated by low-voltage electrical stimulation (LV-ES) of half carcasses and by chilling rate of the muscles. Multivariate statistical analysis was used to visualise the data, while ANOVA was used to identify significant effects and interactions. As expected there was a significant effect of LV-ES on the pH decline in the first hours post-mortem in both muscles. Moreover, significant effects of LV-ES on WB shear force measured 2 and 8 days after slaughter were observed for LD at both chilling temperatures, while for AD no effect on WB shear force was observed. Furthermore, the results revealed a large individual variation in the response of LV-ES on both pH decline and WB shear force, and this variation did not always correlate for the two responses. Some animals showed no response of LV-ES on pH decline, but still had an improved WB shear force, and vice versa. The results from this study indicate that there probably are other mechanisms than accelerated pH decline and prevention of cold-shortening, by which LV-ES can affect meat tenderness.     

Relationship between fat depots in carcasses of beef bulls and effect on meat colour and tenderness

The growth and the effects of four species of staphylococci and six lactic acid bacteria (LAB) of the genus Carnobacterium, Lactobacillus and Pediococcus on unsaturated free fatty acids were studied. The strains were grown in complex medium supplemented either with oleic, linoleic or linolenic acids. Growth was followed and oxidation of the substrates measured by TBARS. The strains of Staphylococcus xylosus 873, 16, Staphylococcus warneri 863 and Staphylococcus saprophyticus grew well on all the substrates. Whereas, the growth of the two strains of Staphylococcus carnosus and Staphylococcus xylosus 831 was inhibited in the media with linolenic acid. The addition of manganese to this media allowed good growth of these strains. All the LAB did not grow well in the media with linoleic acid, but their growth was favoured by addition of manganese to the media. Under our conditions, only linoleic and linolenic acids were oxidised. All the strains had no prooxidant activity. All the staphylococci limited oxidation of linoleic acid and had a small effect on linolenic acid. LAB did not limit oxidation of linoleic acid. With manganese in the media: the oxidation of the sterile controls was delayed for 2 days and then increased; strains of S. carnosus and S. xylosus inhibited oxidation of linolenic acid; and Lactobacillus plantarum and Pediococcus pentosaceus limited oxidation of linoleic acid. The two Carnobacterium, whatever the conditions, had no antioxidant properties.     

Consumer assessment of the effect of electrical stimulation on the colour and colour stability of Semimembranosus muscles

The influence of effective low voltage electrical stimulation on the colour stability of beef topside (semimembranosus) muscles, during storage and retail display was studied using objective measurements and subjective assessments. Earlier results obtained from objective measurements demonstrated that during a three day retail display period, stimulated topsides had a greater loss of colour than non-stimulated topsides, and primal cuts aged for 33 days at 0 °C before display suffered faster changes to colour during retail presentation than cuts aged for 5 days. To relate results obtained using objective methods to consumer perceptions of meat quality, consumer perceptions of samples of meat displayed for 3 days in the retail cabinets of a major local supermarket were recorded. A total of 960 consumers were asked to evaluate topside steaks for meat and fat colour, meat discolouration and acceptability. During 3 days of retail display, consumers did not perceive differences in the extent of discolouration of topside steaks from electrically stimulated and non-stimulated carcasses; for the majority of the treatment groups (high or low pH muscles, 5 or 33 day ageing, 1-3 day retail display) there were no significant differences, for any of the scored attributes, between stimulated and non-stimulated samples. However, for samples in the fresh (5 days ageing), high pH (5.8-6.0) treatments group, lean meat colour and acceptability for the stimulated samples were, on some of the days on display, given significantly (P < 0.05) better ratings by the consumers than those from corresponding non-stimulated samples.