The influence of exhaustion and electrical stimulation on the meat quality of young bulls: Part 2-Physical and sensory properties

The physical and sensory properties of meat from sixteen exhausted and sixteen gently treated young bulls were investigated. The influence of electrical stimulation was also studied. The meat was divided into three groups-meat with ultimate pH ≤ 5·80 (normal meat), 5·81-6·19 (medium meat) and ≥6·20 (DFD meat), respectively. DFD meat showed typical DFD properties and had a higher initial tenderness but a smaller increase in tenderness than normal meat during storage. The medium meat was tough and behaved in some ways as DFD meat and in others like normal meat. Lower correlation between shear force measurement and sensory evaluated tenderness was obtained for DFD than for normal meat. The cooking loss of DFD meat was about 10% lower than that of normal and medium meat. No significant correlation could be found between storage loss, cooking loss, frying loss and juiciness. The electrically stimulated meat was-especially for normal meat-more tender and juicy than unstimulated meat. No obvious influence due to electrical stimulation was noticed on colour, cooking loss, frying loss or storage loss. Electrical stimulation of stressed, but not exhausted, animals may produce meat with PSE properties.