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RELATIONSHIPS OF CERTAIN MUSCLE, CARTILAGE AND BONE TRAITS TO TENDERNESS OF THE BEEF LONGISSIMUS
Author(s) -
BERRY B. W.,
SMITH G. C.,
CARPENTER Z. L.
Publication year - 1974
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.1365-2621.1974.tb17986.x
Subject(s) - tenderness , longissimus , myofibril , sarcomere , longissimus dorsi , longissimus muscle , anatomy , muscle fibre , meat tenderness , zoology , chemistry , biology , skeletal muscle , endocrinology , myocyte
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.