Abstract

As injections of acid and calcium chloride solution reduce toughness in beef of normal pH (5.4 - 5.7) beef, these solutions may also tenderise intermediate pH (5.7 - 6.2) beef. Portions of intermediate-pH striploins from four bulls were allocated to the following treatments :- control, lactic acid (0.55 M, 10 % w/w, injected within two hours of slaughter) or calcium chloride (0.3 M, 10 % w/w, injected 20 hours after slaughter). The samples were stored at 15°C for 24 hours, then at - 1°C for a further nine days. 24 hours after slaughter the shear force of the lactic-acid-treated samples was nonsignificantly less than the control (12.7 vs 15.4 kgF). Nine days after slaughter, the lactic acid and control samples remained unacceptably tough, while the calcium chloride samples (7.5 kgF) were acceptable. Therefore, it may be possible to use calcium chloride to reduce intermediate pH toughness.

BC, Thomson, MM Auld, and NJ Simmons

Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production, Volume 60, Hamilton, 115-116, 2000