Relationships of Certain Muscle, Cartilage and Bone Traits to Tenderness of the Beef Longissimus

Abstract

S Histological and chemical characteristics of longissimus muscle and physical measurements of scapular and vertebral cartilage and bone were related to the tenderness of the beef longissimus. The 195 wholesale ribs were selected from carcasses differing widely in physiological maturity. Smaller diameter muscle fibers, longer sarcomeres, shorter muscle fiber fragments following homogenization, lower percentages of wavy fibers, decreased collagen content, increased percentages of soluble collagen, lower myofibril fragmentation scores, increased percentages of fat, decreased percentages of moisture and smaller areas of expressible juice were associated (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01) with increases in tenderness of the beef longissimus. Among physiological maturity indicators, muscle fiber diameter, total pigment concentration and hardness of scapular cartilage and vertebral bone were most closely related to the variability in tenderness of the beef longissimus and were associated with advancements in physiological maturity. Although most of the relationships in this study were of small magnitude, these data generally support the utilization of fatness‐maturity interactions across very wide ranges in physiological maturity for the stratification of beef carcasses according to tenderness.

USDA MATURITY INDICES AND PALATABILITY OF BEEF RIB STEAKS1

“…(1974a) reported that correlation coefficients between individual carcass maturity indices (ossification in specific vertebral areas, color/shape of rib bones, color/texture of the lean) and specific palatability traits of cooked rib steaks were all of nearly the same magnitude. They concluded from their results (Berry et al 1974a) that physiological changes indicative of maturity apparently occur, in concert, at the same rate in all tissues evaluated, across a broad (A through E) range in physiological maturity; thus relationships between individual carcass maturity indicators and a palatability trait are quite similar. Multiple regression analyses were computed using the seven carcass maturity indices identified in Table 3.…”

Effects of Hydrodynamic Pressure Processing and Blade Tenderization on Intramuscular Collagen and Tenderness‐related Protein Characteristics of Top Rounds From Brahman Cattle*

“…1973). Decreased collagen content and increased collagen solubility are generally thought to positively impact beef tenderness (Berry et al . 1974; Light et al .…”

International perspective: characterisation of United States Department of Agriculture and Meat Standards Australia systems for assessing beef quality

“…Of factors considered of primary importance in determining tenderness and overall palatability of cooked beef in the MSA grading system, there is ample US research-study support for use of marbling (Smith et al 1969(Smith et al , 2007Savell et al 1987Savell et al , 1989George et al 1999;Wyle 2000;Platter et al 2003bPlatter et al , 2005Gruber et al 2006), maturity (Berry et al 1974a(Berry et al , 1974bSmith et al 1982Smith et al , 1988Smith et al , 2008Hilton et al 1998), amount of B. indicus genetics (McKeith et al 1985a(McKeith et al , 1985bSherbeck et al 1995Sherbeck et al , 1996O'Connor et al 1997), sex (Choat et al 2006;Tatum et al 2007), tenderstretch carcass suspension (Smith et al , 1979(Smith et al , 2007Orts et al 1971;Hostetler et al 1975), ultimate pH (Smulders et al 1990;Tatum 1991a, 1994;Eilers et al 1996;Wulf et al 1997), meat colour (Jeremiah et al 1972;Wulf et al 1997;Cannell et al 2000;Wyle et al 2003;Vote et al 2003), fat colour (Hilton et al 1998;Wyle et al 1998Wyle et al , 2003Wyle 2000;Vote et al 2003) and subcu...…”