Comparison of chemical composition of meat determined at eight laboratories

Sixteen minced samples of lean beef M. semimembranosus and M. gracilis were analysed for nitrogen, fat, moisture, collagen, ash and pH using recommended procedures in eight European Communitie' (EC) meat research laboratories. Differences between replicate determinations within laboratories were often larger than suggested in reference methods although they were smaller than the differences between laboratories. Moisture and pH were determined most consistently, collagen least consistently.