Weight loss from beef sides during storage post mortem and its effects on carcass composition

The effects of storage on carcass weight, carcass composition and the water content of tissues have been investigated. Ten Friesian-cross steer carcasses were used, one side being dissected 1 day after slaughter and the other after storage at + 1°C and 84 % relative humidity for 20 days. The rate of weight loss from the sides (range in hot weight, 103·0 to 201·5 kg) was linear between days 1 and 20, with a mean loss of 4·2 kg (0·17 %/day). During the period of storage, there was a reduction in weight of all tissues except intermuscular fat (IMF) and fatter sides (range 14·72-32·23 % dissectible fat) had a proportionately smaller loss. In percentage composition terms, there was a significant reduction in subcutaneous fat (SCF)of 0·36 percentage units, P < 0·01, and in lean, of 0·59 percentage units, P < 0·05; there was a significant gain in IMF of 0·63 percentage units, P < 0·01, but it was considered that changes were not large enough to seriously affect the interpretations of dissection data in most experiments. During storage, all tissues except IMF lost water, particularly SCF, which lost 28 % of the original amount. In the day 1 sides, 35 % of the total loss from hot weight to recovered tissue weight (after dissection) occurred during jointing and dissection and 65 % during storage. In the day 20 sides, the values were 12 %, and 88 %, respectively.