Postmortem Changes in Muscle

Abstract

The topic of the postmortem period in muscle has a rich history of scientific accomplishment. It is a topic being vigorously pursued at present with new approaches both by seasoned investigators and by a new generation of meat scientists. I must emphasize to you that I am confident it is a topic critically important to improvements in the industry which produces and distributes meat for human consumption. Postmortem change is a topic I feel comfortable with because I took my training and conducted my early work in the area—and that at a time of high activity and major accomplishments. There is a large number of excellent reviews recorded in the literature. I will not attempt to replay them here, but rather use the license of flexibility granted me to develop the concept of the crucial importance scientific work in the area of postmortem change plays in the economically important factor of meat quality.So there is my thesis—I believe that research on postmortem change. in muscle is leading to the situation which will allow control of meat quality to the extent that the industry will be able to respond to changing demands of the consumer, and do so rather rapidly.