Abstract
The current study is a meta-analysis of the effects of electrical stimulation (ES, n = 28 papers) with different voltages combined with different ageing periods (0–3, 4–7, and 8–14 days) on the meat quality of small ruminants. A comprehensive search for published studies on meat quality of small ruminants investigating the application of low, medium, and high voltage electrical stimulation, was performed using Google Scholar, ScienceDirect, PubMed, and Scopus databases. Forest plots, funnel plots, and other statistical tools and tests were used in the study to analyze the results. Electrical stimulation significantly reduced ultimate pH (p < 0.001), Warner–Bratzler shear force (WBSF) (p < 0.001), cooking loss (p < 0.05), and purge loss (p < 0.001). In addition, sarcomere length (p < 0.01), myofibrillar-fragmentation index (MFI) (p < 0.001), and color (L*, a*, b*) (p < 0.001) showed higher values in meat subjected to ES as compared with the control group. In conclusion, the meta-analysis revealed statistical proof of beneficial effects of ES on meat quality of small ruminants in terms of ultimate pH, tenderness, enhanced proteolysis, and higher colorimetric values.
Highlights
The increasing consumer demand for high quality and minimally processed meat has resulted in increased focus on food processing technologies for the meat industry
Meta-analysis is a useful technique to comprehensively assess the effect of electrical stimulation and ageing on meat quality from a number of studies, while minimizing the discrepancies from individual studies
The findings from the current study provide strong evidence for the positive effects of electrical stimulation in meat quality of small ruminants
Summary
The increasing consumer demand for high quality and minimally processed meat has resulted in increased focus on food processing technologies for the meat industry. Among these technologies, electrical stimulation (ES) is a technique practiced in many commercial meat processing plants globally to improve tenderization in beef, sheep, and lamb [1,2]. Electrical stimulation technology involves passing an electric current through the carcass of freshly slaughtered animals [3]. This causes the muscle to contract, resulting in an increase in glycolysis and a rapid decline in pH. The decline in pH and improvement in meat tenderness as a result of electrical stimulation was unequivocal in most published studies, equivocal responses were observed on other traits such as color stability [8,9]
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