Myofibril Fragmentation Index as an Immediate Postmortem Predictor of Buffalo Meat Tenderness

Abstract

A study was undertaken to compare and correlate the myofibril fragmentation index (MFI) of fresh buffalo longissimus steaks with Warner-Bratzler shear force (WBSF) and the subjective measurement of overall tenderness to suggest the suitability of MFI as a predictor of cooked buffalo meat tenderness. The study revealed a significant positive correlation (P < 0.01) between MFI and WBSF from day 1 to 8. The mean correlation coefficients (r2) of overall tenderness with MFI and WBSF were 0.61 and 0.73, respectively. This indicates that MFI could be used as an objective method of evaluation of tenderness of buffalo meat as it is strongly correlated with the overall tenderness and WBSF. Therefore, MFI of raw aged buffalo longissimus steaks can be used as a predictor of cooked buffalo meat tenderness enabling selection of tender meat for retail sale and processing. Furthermore, the results imply that significant tenderization occurs during the first 24 h postmortem. Practical Applications Myofibril fragmentation index appears to be an effective tool in predicting meat tenderness early postmortem as it was found to correlate with both Warner-Bratzler shear force values and objective measures of tenderness of cooked meat. This index is a very useful indicator of meat tenderness, particularly for muscles not big enough to determine shear force or sensory tenderness. This can be of special promise to the meat industry or retailers in developing countries where there is a need for early postmortem measurements to assess meat quality as early as possible after slaughter. A significant amount of tenderization occurs during the first 24 h postmortem as is obvious from the results; the industry can equip themselves to further enhance this early postmortem proteolysis so that the consumer acceptance of the final product can be improved.