Exam 3: Meat Palatability Flashcards
What is a high quality meat-eating experience?
- Juiciness
- Tenderness
- Flavor
As meat prices go up, expectations also go up
Why is tenderness important in high quality eating experiences?
- Essential for consumer acceptance
- Adds value
Usually the more tender a cut, the more expensive it is
What influences tenderness?
- Contractile state of the muscle
- Enzymatic protein degradation
- Amount and type of connective tissue
At 24 hours post-mortem the muscle is at maximum toughness
What affects sarcomere shortening?
Temperature
* Chilling too quickly –> cold shortening
* Chilling to slowly –> maximum rigor
The higher calpain activity, the ___ tender meat is
More
- Activated by calcium
- Inhibited by calpastatin
How does the amount of desmin relate to tenderness?
The more desmin, the tougher the muscle is
What influences calpastatin levels?
- Breed
- Beta-agonists
- Callipyge disease
What happens to connective tissue over time?
It degrades
Amount and type of connective tissue influences tenderness
Does marbling influence tenderness?
No, only 10% of variation in tenderness is explained by marbling
For “acceptable” tenderness, you need at least 2% marbling
- Lubercates the mouth
- Reduces density
How can we manage tenderness pre-harvest?
Genetics
* Breed influence
* Myostatin gene
* Callipyge gene
* Genetic markers: markers for calpain and calpastatin
Management
* Pre-harvest stress –> Influences rate of rigor
* Implants
* Beta-agonists
* Age at harvest: More connective tissue as the animal ages
* Feed quality –> marbling deposition
How can we manage tenderness post-harvest?
Manage contractile state
* Prevent/decrease sarcomere shortening: Electrical stimulation, Fat cover, Stretching
Changing muscle properties
* Aging
* Blade tenderization
* Needle injection
* Tumbling
* Marination
* Non-meat additive: Pineapple (Bromelin), Papya (Papain), calcium-based ingredients
Cooking
* Cooking method: Slow cooking (breaks down connective tissue)
* Degree of doness
Why is juciness important?
- Juciness can cause unacceptable eating experiences
- Juciness enhances other traits: Enhances flavor acceptability 3-fold
Least researched trait
What is the definition of juiciness?
A combination of perception and the force applied to the meat
Perception: What you see
What influences juiciness?
- pH of muscle: Driver of initial juiciness
- Level of intramuscular fat (marbling): Driver of sustained juiciness
- Post-harvest impacts
What is the relationship of water holding capacity and pH?
Water holding capacity decreases as pH nears the isoelectric point (pH 5.1)
How does direct heat cooking affect juiciness?
It often dries out the product
How does moisture-based cooking affect juiciness?
It increases juiciness (increases moisture content)
What trait becomes most important when tenderness is within an acceptable range?
Flavor
What is flavor?
Taste + Aroma
* Taste refers to the five basic receptors: Sweet, Sour, Salty, Bitter, Umami
* Aroma is the sensation perceived when volatile compounds are sniffed through the nose
Flavor: Perception of chemical compounds reacting with receptors in the
T/F: Taste receptors have axons
False, taste receptor cells do not have axons
What is the biggest driver of flavor?
The nose
What is the difference between smell and taste?
- For taste, food needs to be placed directly on your tongue
- Smell,
