Manipulation of the pre-rigor glycolytic behaviour of bovine M. longissimus dorsi in order to identify causes of inconsistencies in tenderness

The aim of this study was to monitor the effects of the alteration of the pre-rigor environment of the bovine LD muscle using controlled temperature regimes in order to gain an insight into the early post-mortem pH/temperature/time interactions which are important from the point of view of tenderness and to identify possible reasons for inconsistencies in beef tenderness. LD muscles ( n = 12) were hot-boned within 90 min post-slaughter, cut into three pieces which were randomly placed in polyethylene bags and submerged in water baths pre-set at the following temperatures; 0, 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25 °C for 8 h post-mortem then stored at 2 °C for up to 14-days post-mortem. The rate of pH decline increased with increasing temperature. Muscles incubated at 0 and 5 °C were cold shortened however not all of these muscles were tough as indicated by Warner Bratzler shear force values (WBSF). A pH range of 5.9–6.2 at 3 h post-mortem (pH 3) produced consistently tender beef where cold-shortening was avoided. Cold shortened muscles showed the greatest variation in tenderness at 14 days post-mortem and underwent the greatest amount of tenderisation (ΔWBSF) and proteolysis between days 2 and 14 post-mortem. Proteolysis of cold shortened muscle may induce variation in tenderness in these muscles.