Abstract Farmed red deer slaughtered in a deer slaughter plant have been used to determine the influence of processing practices on the tenderness of venison. Carcasses from some animals were electrically stimulated with low voltage (80V peak unidirectional, half sine-wave pulses of 10 ms duration) for a 90 s period 30 s after sticking. Other carcasses were not stimulated and were used as controls. Portions of the loin muscle were either chilled rapidly at 2 h postmortem, held for 48 h (24 h 10 °C, 24 h 2°C), or for 72 h (24 h 10°C, 48 h 2°C) to condition and then commence aging. The meat from nonstimulated carcasses that was chilled at 2 h postmortem was very tough, but conditioning prevented toughening due to cold shortening and gave a lower force score and the brief aging at 2°C further reduced the toughness. Electrical stimulation, by hastening the development of rigor mortis, produced a ‘conditioned’ level of tenderness in meat which was rapidly chilled at 2 h postmortem. Holding for 48 h (24 h 10°C,...