Testing different devices to assess the meat tenderness: preliminary results

Area of Science:

• Food Science
• Meat Science
• Instrumental Analysis

Background:

• Consumer preference for meat is significantly influenced by tenderness.
• Accurate and reliable measurement of meat tenderness is crucial for quality assessment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the effectiveness of a digital texturometer (CT3) and a penetrometer (FHT) against the standard mechanical Warner-Bratzler (WBSF) for measuring meat tenderness.
• To evaluate the impact of different endpoint cooking temperatures on meat tenderness measurements.

Main Methods:

• Thirty-six cross-breed heifers were used, with Longissimus thoracis (LT) samples collected post-slaughter.
• Tenderness was measured using the mechanical Warner-Bratzler (WBSF), digital texturometer (CT3), and penetrometer (FHT) at endpoint cooking temperatures of 51, 61, and 71°C.
• Statistical analyses included analysis of variance and regression analyses to compare device performance.

Main Results:

• Shear force values increased with higher endpoint cooking temperatures.
• The digital texturometer (CT3) showed a strong correlation with the mechanical Warner-Bratzler (WBSF) (R² = 0.76, r = 0.85).
• The penetrometer (FHT) provided underestimated results (R² = 0.19) and was not comparable to the WBSF.

Conclusions:

• The digital texturometer (CT3) is a viable and reliable alternative to the mechanical Warner-Bratzler (WBSF) for assessing meat tenderness.
• The penetrometer (FHT) is not suitable for accurate meat tenderness evaluation.
• Cooking temperature significantly affects meat tenderness, highlighting the importance of controlled cooking parameters.