Boosting meat eating quality
By Chrissie Lawrence
ABATTOIR PROCESSING treatments can have a large effect on eating quality of Scottish beef and lamb, according to joint research by SAC and University of Bristol.
Ian Richardson of the University of Bristol told BSAS delegates there were many studies which showed breed, gender, age and feeding regime influence animal growth rate, meat yield and composition. These factors, plus slaughter and post-slaughter conditions are thought to influence the tenderness and flavour of meat.
Two research projects, one on beef and one on lamb, set out to assess the impact of abattoir treatment of carcasses in SEERAD-funded studies.
To assess eating quality of beef, 32 farms in Scotland produced steers and heifers using best on-farm practices for meat quality, including finishing on grass or grass silage. They were slaughtered through two commercial abattoirs, with cattle divided between enhanced and standard abattoir treatment.
“Results showed a clear benefit of processing treatment on meat eating quality, with an enhanced treatment producing a large increase in rating for meat texture.” Samples tasted by a trained sensory panel and take home consumers were also given increased ratings for meat flavour, said Dr Richardson.
Loin steak eating quality improvements occurred when either high voltage electrical stimulation or low voltage stimulation combined with hip suspension were used, both with an extra two weeks longer conditioning time.
“Enhanced processed samples had to be from carcasses weighing 260-400kg, with a minimum of fat class 3 and conformation E, U or R and having a pH greater than 6 at two hours and less than 5.8 at 48 hours post-slaughtering,” said Dr Richardson. Samples were frozen for seven and 21 days post-slaughtering, respectively.
In lambs, said John Vipond of SAC, results of a similar trial showed enhancing abattoir processing and conditioning had a positive effect on most attributes of eating quality. They also reduced variability in tenderness. Lambs were finished on two farms according to an MLC blueprint for achieving good meat quality.
“Electrical stimulation had a greater impact in improving meat texture than the length of time meat was conditioned,” he added. This was the same for Blackface lambs and for crossbreds.
Furthermore, eating quality of lambs of higher carcass weight than standard was not reduced. Dr Vipond suggested these increases in weights may open the door to added value processing markets, such as ready meals, to help lower the cost of processing.