TENDERNESS, pH AND ACCEPTABILITY OF MEAT FROM PODOLIAN AND LIMOUSINE × PODOLIAN YOUNG BULLS

Abstract

ABSTRACT The relationships between meat pH, sensory tenderness and acceptability for Podolian (P) and Limousine × Podolian (LP) beef were investigated. Negative linear relationships between pH measured at each of 1, 24 and 48 h post mortem and sensory tenderness were found at 2 (P < 0.001) and 7 days of ageing (P < 0.05). At 7 days of ageing, sensory tenderness was higher (P < 0.001) than that at 2 days of ageing. LP beef showed higher sensory tenderness (P < 0.001) than P. The regression between perceived tenderness and acceptability was separately calculated for LP and P beef. Both were significant (P < 0.01 and P < 0.001, respectively). In addition, a significant difference was observed between the two regression coefficients (P < 0.05), indicating that the two variables were more associated for P than LP beef.PRACTICAL APPLICATIONSMeat acceptability is obviously related to tenderness. More interestingly, other factors (e.g., familiarity, age, etc.) can affect product acceptability. In fact, the same product can be perceived by some consumers as being tough, whereas it can be considered tender by others, corresponding to low and high levels of acceptability, respectively. Therefore, along with treatments aimed to increase tenderness (e.g., ageing), information about the product, age and familiarity of consumers, etc., can increase the acceptability of meats, which are less tender because of their intrinsic properties.