QUALITY OF BEEF LOIN STEAKS AS INFLUENCED BY ANIMAL AGE, ELECTRICAL-STIMULATION AND AGING

The tenderness of beef M. longissimus dorsi muscles from cattle about 18 months (0-2 tooth) and 54 months (8 tooth) old at the time of slaughter was investigated. The influence of electrical stimulation on the mechanical and sensory panel assessments obtained for loin steaks was examined at 24 h post slaughter and also after ageing three weeks. Effective electrical stimulation of the carcasses produced, at 24 h from slaughter, steaks from both age groups which were uniform, acceptable and predictable in tenderness. The colour of loin steaks from the younger animals was lighter than loin steaks from older animals, while the weep in the vacuum packages was less for meat from the older animals than that from the younger ones.