Efficacy of Carcass Electrical Stimulation in Meat Quality Enhancement: A Review

Abstract

The use of electrical stimulation (ES) as a management tool to improve meat quality and efficiency of meat processing is reviewed. The basis of the efficacy of ES is its ability to fast track postmortem glycolysis, which in turn stimulates myriad histological, physical, biochemical, biophysical and physiological changes in the postmortem muscle. Electrical stimulation hastens the onset and resolution of rigor mortis thereby reducing processing time and labor and plays a vital role in improving meat tenderness and other meat quality traits. However, ES may have negative impacts on some meat quality traits such as color stability and water holding capacity in some animals. Electrical stimulation is not an end in itself. In order to achieve the desired benefits from its application, the technique must be properly used in conjunction with various intricate antemortem, perimortem and postmortem management practices. Despite extensive research on ES, the fundamental mechanisms and the appropriate commercial applications remained obscured. In addition, muscles differ in their response to ES. Thus, elementary knowledge of the various alterations with respect to muscle type is needed in order to optimize the effectiveness of ES in the improvement of meat quality.

Physico-chemical properties of breast muscle in broiler chickens fed probiotics, antibiotics or antibiotic–probiotic mix

“…Regardless of the treatment, there was a general decline in muscle glycogen from 0 to 7 d post-mortem. This is expected as the only source of energy to muscle cells following exsanguination of a bird is through the anaerobic glycolysis, which demands the conversion of glycogen to lactic acid in the post-mortem muscle (Adeyemi & Sazili 2014). Means within the same column for each parameter with different superscripts are significantly different (p < .05).…”

“…For the Chroma (C*) and Hue (H*), there were significant differences (p < .05) among the treatments at 1 d post-mortem with no difference (p > .05) observed at 7 d post-mortem. Colour or visual appearance is certainly one of the most important sensory attributes that influence consumers' acceptance of meat and meat products (Adeyemi & Sazili 2014). Supplementation of antibiotics, probiotics and their mix had positive impact on colour attributes of breast meat in broiler chickens.…”

“…At 1 d postmortem, control birds had lower glycogen concentration (p < .05) than those subjected to the other dietary treatments. The conversion of muscle glycogen to lactic acid post-mortem is necessary for the attainment of pHu (Adeyemi & Sazili 2014). The pHu in turn affects myriad biochemical and physiological processes in the post-mortem quality, which influence various meat quality traits (Adeyemi & Sazili 2014).…”

“…The conversion of muscle glycogen to lactic acid post-mortem is necessary for the attainment of pHu (Adeyemi & Sazili 2014). The pHu in turn affects myriad biochemical and physiological processes in the post-mortem quality, which influence various meat quality traits (Adeyemi & Sazili 2014). Regardless of the treatment, there was a general decline in muscle glycogen from 0 to 7 d post-mortem.…”

Changes in glycolysis process in bulls’ meat carcasses subjected to different tenderization treatments

“…Electrical stimulation brings about an increase in the rate of glycolysis and an increase of muscle acidification (Adeyemi and Sazili, 2014;Mombeni et al, 2013;Rhee and Kim, 2001). The course of glycolysis shows a significant influence on forming the quality of meat (Pospiech et al, 2011), especially on its tenderness (Hwang and Thompson, 2001; Kim et al, 2013;White et al, 2006).…”