Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 27, 2026

Introducing an Angle Adjustable Cutting Box for Analyzing Slice Shear Force in Meat
Published on: April 26, 2013
Chemical attributes characterizing sticky post-mortem ageing in beef
R Stephan1, F Stierli, F Untermann
1Institute of Veterinary Food Hygiene, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 270-272, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland.
Abstract:
Reports in literature on post-mortem sticky ageing are rare and data about chemical metabolites that occur particularly during sticky ageing are partly contradictory. In the present study different chemicals (pH, NH(3), TVB-N, H(2)S, R value, IMP, pyruvate and various volatile acids such as lactic acid, acetic acid, butyric acid, uric acid and pyroglutamic acid) were tested for their suitability to serve as parameters to characterize sticky post-mortem ageing in beef muscle samples. Results show that a high butyric acid concentration (0.46 μMol g(-1)) seems to be typical for sticky post-mortem ageing in beef. A distinction from onset of spoilage is possible due to the high butyric acid concentration, a low ammonia content (10.5 mg 100 g(-1)) and a low pH value. From meat with normal ageing it can be differentiated by sensory, colour, smell, consistency, a high butyric and pyroglutamic acid content and a low IMP concentration (0.04 μMol g(-1)).
Related Concept Videos
Microbial Spoilage of Food
Methods of Controlling Food Spoilage
Principles of Food Preservation
Pasteurization and Food Preservation
Microbes in Food Production

