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Porcine Muscle Properties. A. Alteration of Glycolysis by Artificially Induced Changes in Ambient Temperature
Author(s) -
KASTENSCHMIDT L. L.,
BEECHER G. R.,
FORREST J. C.,
HOEKSTRA W. G.,
BRISKEY E. J.
Publication year - 1965
Publication title -
journal of food science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.772
H-Index - 150
eISSN - 1750-3841
pISSN - 0022-1147
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2621.1965.tb01803.x
Subject(s) - glycogen , glycolysis , zoology , lactic acid , air temperature , chemistry , medicine , biology , metabolism , biochemistry , meteorology , genetics , physics , bacteria
SUMMARY Relatively mild preslaughter temperature treatments, involving warm air, cold air, and cold air with an ice‐water spray, were administered, singly and in various combinations, to simulate extremes in environmental conditions and fluctuations. Cold‐air treatment improved mean 24‐hr color‐structure scores and expressible‐juice ratios, although a few animals responded adversely to this treatment given singly. Improvement in these parameters was the most significant and consistent in the muscles of pigs subjected to a change from a warm‐air to cold‐air environment. Rate of pH decline was significantly slower (P <.05) in muscles of pigs from groups involving warm‐to‐cold treatments than in control animals. Although glycogen and lactic acid levels at death were altered by treatment, glycogen levels were decreased the most by the warm‐to‐cold treatments. These improvements resulting from a change in environment from warm to cold, were observed even though the treatments were not severe enough to cause a decrease in muscle temperature. Thus, a sudden change from a warm‐air to a cold‐air ante‐mortem temperature, even when of short duration and not severe enough to reduce muscle temperature at death to levels below normal, altered the post‐mortem glycolytic rate and associated properties of porcine muscle, and improved meat quality.