Biomechanical characterization of meat tenderness

Abstract

Biomechanical studies were conducted to correlate the biomechanical behavior of 45 raw bovine Longissimus dorsi muscles varying in carcass maturity, marbling scores and quality grades with overall sensory panel tenderness scores. Biomechanical properties of fresh and aged steaks were obtained with a TA-2000 Texture Analyzer at a constant strain of 3% for four minutes on muscle firs arranged in parallel and perpendicular orientations to the applied force. Measurements were recorded in terms of relaxation moduli E[]. Total energy dissipated of raw steak cues with fiber orientation in parallel and perpendicular far orientations and initial and final stress of parallel and perpendicular direction were calculated using the models and technique of Spadaro (1996) and correlated to overall sensory tenderness scores. Linear regression models predicting cooked sensory tenderness were constructed from single biomechanical variables having a high correlations. Energy dissipated-parallel (EDPL) and initial stiffness-perpendicular (ISTFPP) (R² = 0.73 and R² = 0 73 respectively) were effective predictors of sensory tenderness. Warner-Bratzler shear force was less effective than biomechanical parameters for predicting tenderness (R² = 0 62). This study confirms the works of Spadaro (1996) and offers a more accurate means of predicting cooked meat tenderness than the Warner-Bratzler shear. Thus, the potential exists for future development of an accurate instrumental method of assessing meat tenderness on a raw sample that is more rapid and less costly than sensory evaluation.