Increased light scattering in electrically stimulated beef longissimus muscle fibres contributes to the observed meat colour at grading
J. Hughes A , N. McPhail A , P. Watkins
B , J. Stark A and R. D. Warner C *
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A CSIRO Agriculture and Food, 39 Kessels Road, Coopers Plains, Qld 4108, Australia.
B CSIRO Agriculture and Food, Sneydes Road, Werribee, Vic. 3030, Australia.
C Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Science, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Vic. 3010, Australia.
Animal Production Science 63(7) 673-680 https://doi.org/10.1071/AN22390
Submitted: 17 October 2022 Accepted: 23 January 2023 Published: 20 February 2023
© 2023 The Author(s) (or their employer(s)). Published by CSIRO Publishing. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-ND)
Abstract
Context: Electrical stimulation is often used by meat processors to promote fast muscle pH decline and optimise meat quality. Meat colour can be made more acceptable by this process, but how this relates to the microstructure and light-scattering properties of muscle is still unknown.
Aims: To investigate the effect of electrical stimulation of beef carcasses on the meat colour at grading and the role of the muscle fibre microstructure and light scattering in determining colour differences.
Methods: Electrical stimulation inputs (electrical stimulation inputs (ES), n = 8; no electrical stimulation inputs (NS), n = 8) were applied to beef carcasses from female cattle of approximately 18–24 months of age. ES comprised electrical immobilisation, bleed rail electric simulation and hide puller rigidity probe, which have all been shown to increase pH fall post-mortem in beef carcasses. pH fall was monitored, the longissimus thoracis was graded at 20–22 h postmortem and measurements were made of colour, muscle-fibre structure and light scattering.
Key results: The decline of pH was increased in ES relative to NS, as indicated by lower pH at 2 h postmortem (5.83 vs 6.86 respectively, s.e. = 0.068; P < 0.05) as well as changes in both chromatic colour a* b* and achromatic (no colour) lightness in the muscle. Chromatic changes were evident as higher grader colour scores, increased redness (a*) and yellowness (b*) with higher levels of oxymyoglobin and lower levels of deoxymyoglobin. Achromatic changes were evident as increased lightness (L*) and surface reflectance (%R) at the meat surface, and increased global brightness within the muscle fibres.
Conclusions: Increased lightness and brightness in electrically stimulated muscles were likely to be due to formation of contraction nodes and distortion of muscle fibres, which changed the microstructure of muscle in ways that increased its light-scattering properties.
Implications: Consideration of the role of light scattering in determining beef colour at grading will advance understanding of how to improve this important quality trait.
Keywords: beef, confocal microscopy, contraction nodes, grading, light scattering, meat colour, myoglobin, sarcomere, skeletal muscle structure.
References
Adeyemi KD, Sazili AQ (2014) Efficacy of carcass electrical stimulation in meat quality enhancement: a review. Asian–Australasian Journal of Animal Science 27, 447–456.| Efficacy of carcass electrical stimulation in meat quality enhancement: a review.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
AUS-MEAT (2005) Handbook of Australian meat. In ‘International red meat manual’. (Ed. I King) pp. 8–11. (AUS-MEAT: Brisbane, Qld, Australia)
Biraima ADA, Mohammed AM, Webb EC (2019) Effects of electrical stimulation and age at slaughter on carcass and meat quality of two Sudanese Baggara beef types. South African Journal of Animal Science 49, 904–913.
| Effects of electrical stimulation and age at slaughter on carcass and meat quality of two Sudanese Baggara beef types.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Devine CE, Ellery S, Averill S (1984) Responses of different types of ox muscle to electrical stimulation. Meat Science 10, 35–51.
| Responses of different types of ox muscle to electrical stimulation.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Eikelenboom G, Smulders FJM, Ruderus H (1985) The effect of high and low voltage electrical stimulation on beef quality. Meat Science 15, 247–254.
| The effect of high and low voltage electrical stimulation on beef quality.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
England EM, Matarneh SK, Mitacek RM, Abraham A, Ramanathan R, Wicks JC, Shi H, Scheffler TL, Oliver EM, Helm ET, Gerrard DE (2018) Presence of oxygen and mitochondria in skeletal muscle early postmortem. Meat Science 139, 97–106.
| Presence of oxygen and mitochondria in skeletal muscle early postmortem.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Feng Y-H, Zhang S-S, Sun B-Z, Xie P, Wen K-X, Xu C-C (2020) Changes in physical meat traits, protein solubility, and the microstructure of different beef muscles during post-mortem aging. Foods 9, 806
| Changes in physical meat traits, protein solubility, and the microstructure of different beef muscles during post-mortem aging.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
GenStat (2019) ‘GenStat.’ (VSN International: Hempstead, UK)
George AR, Bendall JR, Jones RCD (1980) The tenderising effect of electrical stimulation of beef carcasses. Meat Science 4, 51–68.
| The tenderising effect of electrical stimulation of beef carcasses.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Gornall AG, Bardawill CJ, David MM (1949) Determination of serum proteins by means of the biuret reaction. Journal of Biological Chemistry 177, 751–766.
| Determination of serum proteins by means of the biuret reaction.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Ho CY, Stromer MH, Robson RM (1996) Effect of electrical stimulation on postmortem titin, nebulin, desmin, and troponin-T degradation and ultrastructural changes in bovine longissimus muscle. Journal of Animal Science 74, 1563–75.
| Effect of electrical stimulation on postmortem titin, nebulin, desmin, and troponin-T degradation and ultrastructural changes in bovine longissimus muscle.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Hope-Jones M, Strydom PE, Frylinck L, Webb EC (2012) Effect of dietary beta-agonist treatment, vitamin D3 supplementation and electrical stimulation of carcasses on colour and drip loss of steaks from feedlot steers. Meat Science 90, 607–612.
| Effect of dietary beta-agonist treatment, vitamin D3 supplementation and electrical stimulation of carcasses on colour and drip loss of steaks from feedlot steers.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Hopkins DL, Ponnampalam EN, van de Ven RJ, Warner RD (2014) The effect of pH decline rate on the meat and eating quality of beef carcasses. Animal Production Science 54, 407–413.
| The effect of pH decline rate on the meat and eating quality of beef carcasses.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Hudson NJ (2012) Mitochondrial treason: a driver of pH decline rate in post-mortem muscle? Animal Production Science 52, 1107–1110.
| Mitochondrial treason: a driver of pH decline rate in post-mortem muscle?Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Hughes J, Clarke F, Purslow P, Warner R (2017) High pH in beef longissimus thoracis reduces muscle fibre transverse shrinkage and light scattering which contributes to the dark colour. Food Research International 101, 228–238.
| High pH in beef longissimus thoracis reduces muscle fibre transverse shrinkage and light scattering which contributes to the dark colour.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Hughes J, Clarke F, Purslow P, Warner R (2018) A high rigor temperature, not sarcomere length, determines light scattering properties and muscle colour in beef M. sternomandibularis meat and muscle fibres. Meat Science 145, 1–8.
| A high rigor temperature, not sarcomere length, determines light scattering properties and muscle colour in beef M. sternomandibularis meat and muscle fibres.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Hughes JM, Clarke FM, Purslow PP, Warner RD (2019) Meat color is determined not only by chromatic heme pigments but also by the physical structure and achromatic light scattering properties of the muscle. Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety 19, 44–63.
| Meat color is determined not only by chromatic heme pigments but also by the physical structure and achromatic light scattering properties of the muscle.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Hunt M (2012) ‘AMSA meat color measurement guidelines.’ (American Meat Science Association: IL, USA)
Hwang IH, Devine CE, Hopkins DL (2003) The biochemical and physical effects of electrical stimulation on beef and sheep meat tenderness. Meat Science 65, 677–691.
| The biochemical and physical effects of electrical stimulation on beef and sheep meat tenderness.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Jacob R (2020) Implications of the variation in bloom properties of red meat: a review. Meat Science 162, 108040
| Implications of the variation in bloom properties of red meat: a review.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Jacques SL (2013) Optical properties of biological tissues: a review. Physics in Medicine and Biology 58, R37–R61.
| Optical properties of biological tissues: a review.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Jeacocke RE (1984) Light scattering from muscle during the onset of rigor mortis. In ‘Proceedings of 30th European meeting of meat research workers’, Bristol, UK. pp. 104–105. https://digicomst.ie/1984/1984_03_06/
Kim YHB, Warner RD, Rosenvold K (2014) Influence of high pre-rigor temperature and fast pH fall on muscle proteins and meat quality: a review. Animal Production Science 54, 375–395.
| Influence of high pre-rigor temperature and fast pH fall on muscle proteins and meat quality: a review.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Koolmees PA, Korteknie F, Smulders FJM (1986) Accuracy and utility of sarcomere length assessment by laser diffraction. Food Microstructure 5, 71–76.
Krzywicki K (1979) Assessment of relative content of myoglobin, oxymyoglobin and metmyoglobin at the surface of beef. Meat Science 3, 1–10.
| Assessment of relative content of myoglobin, oxymyoglobin and metmyoglobin at the surface of beef.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Ledward DA, Dickinson RF, Powell VH, Shorthose WR (1986) The colour and colour stability of beef Longissimus dorsi and Semimembranosus muscles after effective electrical stimulation. Meat Science 16, 245–265.
| The colour and colour stability of beef Longissimus dorsi and Semimembranosus muscles after effective electrical stimulation.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Li C, Li J, Li X, Hviid M, Lundström K (2011) Effect of low-voltage electrical stimulation after dressing on color stability and water holding capacity of bovine longissimus muscle. Meat Science 88, 559–565.
| Effect of low-voltage electrical stimulation after dressing on color stability and water holding capacity of bovine longissimus muscle.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
MacDougall DB (1982) Changes in the colour and opacity of meat. Food Chemistry 9 75–88.
| Changes in the colour and opacity of meat.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
MacDougall DB, Jones SJ (1981) Translucency and colour defects of dark-cutting meat and their detection. The problem of dark-cutting in beef. Current Topics in Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science 10, 328–43.
Meat and Livestock Australia (2019) 2019 Australian beef eating quality insights. Meat and Livestock Australia, Qld, Australia. Available at https://www.mla.com.au/globalassets/mla-corporate/marketing-beef-and-lamb/documents/meat-standards-australia/abeqi-2019-interactive.pdf. [Accessed 1 March 2022]
Orcutt MW, Dutson TR, Cornforth DP, Smith GC (1984) Factors affecting the formation of a dark, coarse band (‘heat-ring’) in bovine longissimus muscle. Journal of Animal Science 58, 1366–1375.
| Factors affecting the formation of a dark, coarse band (‘heat-ring’) in bovine longissimus muscle.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Purslow PP, Warner RD, Clarke FM, Hughes JM (2020) Variations in meat colour due to factors other than myoglobin chemistry; a synthesis of recent findings (invited review). Meat Science 159, 107941
| Variations in meat colour due to factors other than myoglobin chemistry; a synthesis of recent findings (invited review).Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
R Core Team (2020) R: A language and environment for statistical computing. R Foundation for Statistical Computing, Vienna. Available at https://www.r-project.org/
Ramanathan R, Hunt MC, Price T, Mafi GG (2021) Strategies to limit meat wastage: focus on meat discoloration. Advances in Food and Nutrition Research 95, 183–205.
| Strategies to limit meat wastage: focus on meat discoloration.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Rasband W (2014) ImageJ.Ink. Available at http://imagej.nih.gov/ij/index.html [Accessed 6 February 2020]
Romans JR, Costello WJ, Carlson CW, Greaser ML, Jones KW (1994) ‘The meat we eat.’ (Interstate Publishers, Inc.: Danville, IL, USA)
Savell JW, Dutson TR, Smith GC, Carpenter ZL (1978) Structural changes in electrically stimulated beef muscle. Journal of Food Science 43, 1606–1607.
| Structural changes in electrically stimulated beef muscle.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Sleper PS, Hunt MC, Kropf DH, Kastner CL, Diekman ME (1983) Electrical stimulation effects on myoglobin properties of bovine longissimus muscle. Journal of Food Science 48, 479–483.
| Electrical stimulation effects on myoglobin properties of bovine longissimus muscle.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Swatland HJ (2012) Optical properties of meat. In ‘65th annual reciprocal meat conference’. (Ed. American Meat Science Association), pp. 1–7 (American Meat Science Association): Chicago, Illinois, USA.
Tang BH, Henrickson RL (1980) Effect of postmortem electrical stimulation on bovine myoglobin and its derivatives. Journal of Food Science 45, 1139–1141.
| Effect of postmortem electrical stimulation on bovine myoglobin and its derivatives.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Thompson J (2002) Managing meat tenderness. Meat Science 62, 295–308.
| Managing meat tenderness.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Warner RD, Kauffman RG, Greaser ML (1997) Muscle protein changes post mortem in relation to pork quality traits. Meat Science 45, 339–352.
| Muscle protein changes post mortem in relation to pork quality traits.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Warner RD, Dunshea FR, Gutzke D, Lau J, Kearney G (2014) Factors influencing the incidence of high rigor temperature in beef carcasses in Australia. Animal Production Science 54, 363–374.
| Factors influencing the incidence of high rigor temperature in beef carcasses in Australia.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Winger RJ, Pope CG (1981) Osmotic properties of post-rigor beef muscle. Meat Science 5, 355–369.
| Osmotic properties of post-rigor beef muscle.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Wulf DM, Wise JW (1999) Measuring muscle color on beef carcasses using the L*a*b* color space. Journal of Animal Science 77, 2418–2427.
| Measuring muscle color on beef carcasses using the L*a*b* color space.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
