Beef quality assessment of local and imported sources illustrating a contrary view that freezing is the best way of beef preservation using morphometric analysis

Abstract

The histological analysis of local and imported beef samples throughout storage at various intervals in 4 °C, before and after being frozen at − 18 °C, to detect the changes happened in the microstructure of muscle fibers to evaluate the meat nutritive properties in a step toward rapid evaluation of meat quality. The obtained results illustrated that freezing–thawing step of beef leads to the loss of its muscle fiber structure due to the high moisture content failure, highlighted the idea that imported beef show significant shrinkage in their muscle fibers from the beginning of its purchase to consumers as they seem to be imported as frozen and thawed just before exposed and sold as fresh. Through consumption survey, however consumers prefer local meat, it was detected that 67% of population is eating imported beef with 39.4% more than twice per week. Therefore, consumers’ minds should be changed to depend on locally slaughtered beef on facing their needs of the recommended daily intake of protein.