Electrical stimulation extends the time limits for very fast chilling of lamb loins
Robin H. Jacob
A F , Katja Rosenvold B , Michael North C , Robert Kemp D and Robyn D. Warner E
A Department of Agriculture and Food WA, Baron Hay Court, South Perth, WA 6151, Australia.
B Silver Fern Farms, 507 W, Eastbourne Street West, Hastings, 4122 New Zealand.
C Taranaki Bio Extracts Limited, 57 Kohiti Road, Okaiawa Hawera, 4678, New Zealand.
D Formerly AgResearch Limited, Ruakura Research Centre, Hamilton, New Zealand.
E Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Vic. 3010, Australia.
F Corresponding author. Email: robin.jacob@dpird.wa.gov.au
Animal Production Science 60(15) 1861-1868 https://doi.org/10.1071/AN19636
Submitted: 29 November 2019 Accepted: 26 March 2020 Published: 23 June 2020
Abstract
Context: Very fast chilling (VFC) involves cooling meat to approximately –1°C before the onset of rigor, and offers potential benefits compared with conventional chilling that include accelerated tenderisation, improved shelf life and reduced inventory costs. However, the practical difficulties of achieving the required temperature profile prevents adoption of VFC commercially.
Aims: The objective of this study was to determine if electrical stimulation could be a way of making VFC easier to achieve for lamb meat. The hypothesis tested was that electrical stimulation would reduce the rate of chilling required with very fast chilling by accelerating the rate of pH decline post-mortem.
Methods: The experiment was a 2 × 3 factorial design whereby 54 loins from 27 lambs were allocated to one of six different treatments: no electrical stimulation and electrical stimulation, and chilling rates to reach −1°C at 1 h (Fast), 1.5 h (Moderate) and 2.5 h (Slow) post-mortem respectively.
Key results: Without electrical stimulation, shear forces were lowest for the Moderate chilling rate; but with electrical stimulation, consistently low shear force values were obtained with all chilling rates. Muscle pH depended on treatment, although this effect also depended on the time post-mortem. Shear force depended on chilling rate only when there was no electrical stimulation. Without electrical stimulation, the optimal chilling rate was the Moderate treatment. Effects on sarcomere length accounted for some, but not all, of the effects of treatment on shear force.
Conclusions: Electrical stimulation therefore reduced the chilling rate required to optimise tenderness with VFC, and could be a component of a practical VFC regime for lamb meat.
Implications: VFC could become a practical chilling method, but only when sensory evaluation supports the favourable shear force findings established in this study. This would require evaluation of VFC at a commercial scale.
Additional keywords: rapid tenderisation, sheep meat, short processing.
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