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Meat Science: Tenderization Technologies Study Guide

This guide explores the essential properties of fresh meat, including Water Holding Capacity (WHC), firmness, and texture. Learn about the scientific principles behind meat quality, such as the effects of pH, protein interactions, and post-slaughter changes like rigor mortis and glycolysis. Essential for anyone interested in food science, culinary arts, or meat processing.

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Fresh Meat Properties and Tenderization Technologies

Postmortem Technologies to Improve Meat Tenderness

Postmortem technologies to improve meat tenderness involve established and emerging technologies such as prerigor muscle restraint, Tendercut and Pi-Vac System, hydrodynamic shock waves, and TenderClass System.

  • Postmortem Technologies
  • Prerigor muscle restraint
  • Tendercut and Pi-Vac System
  • Hydrodynamic shock waves
  • TenderClass System
  • Connective tissue
  • Collagen
  • Myofibrillar components
  • Muscle structure

Established Meat Tenderization Technologies

Established technologies including electrical stimulation, aging, needle/blade tenderization, enhancement, and exogenous enzyme application impact myofibrillar and connective tissue components.

  • Electrical stimulation
  • Wet and dry aging
  • Needle/blade tenderization
  • Enhancement (salt and phosphate)
  • Exogenous enzyme application
  • Glycolysis and rigor mortis
  • Myofibrillar component
  • Connective tissue (collagen) component
  • Proteases
  • Meat tenderization

Prerigor Muscle Restraint and Tenderization Technologies

Technologies and processes including prerigor muscle restraint, wrapping, and hydrodynamic shock waves are used to impact myofibrillar components and improve meat tenderness.

  • Sarcomere length and tenderness relationship
  • Prerigor muscle restraint
  • Tendercut process
  • Pi-Vac system
  • Muscle wrapping
  • Hydrodynamic shock waves
  • TenderClass system
  • Myofibrillar component impact

Properties of Fresh Meat

An examination of fresh meat properties including water holding capacity, firmness, texture, and color.

  • Water Holding Capacity (WHC)
  • Steric effect
  • Net charge effect
  • Exchange of ions effect
  • Degree of immobilization of water
  • Firmness
  • Texture
  • Meat color chemistry
  • Myoglobin
  • pH
  • Isoelectric point (pI)
  • Myofibrillar proteins

Fresh Meat Properties and Water Holding Capacity

This lecture covers fresh meat properties including water holding capacity, firmness, texture, and the relationship of muscle shortening and tenderness.

  • Prerigor meat
  • Water holding capacity (WHC)
  • Protein denaturation
  • Sarcomere length
  • Glycolysis
  • Meat firmness
  • Meat texture
  • Muscle shortening
  • Meat tenderness
  • Isoelectric point
  • Net charge effect
  • Immobilization of water
  • Salt effect on WHC

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