Abstract
This work aimed to comprehensively analyze the factors (slaughter method, gender, and muscle type) that determine the kosher status of beef and assess their influence on the selected quality characteristics of raw meat. The muscles were obtained from 40 carcasses of heifers and 40 carcasses of young bulls. In the first stage of the experiment, pH values were measured. The water, protein, fat, minerals, and collagen contents were determined. Then, the shear force, forced drip, and thermal drip were measured. The experimental results indicated that all the investigated parameters have an impact on the final quality of beef. Statistically significantly lower pH1 values were noticed in the longissimus thoracic muscle of young bulls obtained through kosher slaughter methods. However, 24 and 48 h after slaughter, higher pH values were observed in the meat of young bulls obtained by the kosher slaughter method, where the meat samples were subjected to kosher treatment. The koshering process (salting and washing) resulted in a significant reduction in both forced and thermal drip values of the meat sample, but this decrease was not affected by gender.
Highlights
Stress is the most frequently identified factor in the handling of animals prior to slaughter, which negatively affects the quality of meat
The muscles were obtained from 40 carcasses of heifers and 40 carcasses of young bulls
The results indicate that all the investigated factors play a role in differentiating the quality of beef
Summary
Stress is the most frequently identified factor in the handling of animals prior to slaughter, which negatively affects the quality of meat. Pre-slaughter stress and energy inputs deplete muscle glycogen reserves and, as a result, cause insufficient post-mortem production of hydrogen ions. The end products of ATP hydrolysis and post-mortem glycolysis, hydrogen ions and lactate, accumulate in the muscle due to the lack of an effective elimination mechanism. This accumulation of hydrogen ions acidifies the muscles and causes drop of pH [1]. Low acidity during maturation changes the color, taste, and tenderness of meat [2,3,4]. Significant pre-slaughter stress affects the firmness and ability to retain water, and reduces the tenderness of meat [5]
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