Early post-mortem degradation of intramuscular collagen

Post-mortem changes in physical and thermal stabilities of bovine intramuscular connective tissue were studied during the first 24 h postmortem. Collagen thermal shrinkage temperature (T(s)) decreased (P < 0·01) and collagen solubility increased (P < 0·01) during the first 24 h following slaughter with greatest amount of change occurring in the first 8 h post mortem. The dynamic nature of intramuscular connective tissue during the very early post-mortem (VEP) period is compared to the VEP-tenderness relationships proposed by Marsh and others.