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Extensibility of Single Beef Muscle Fibers^1,2,

American Meat Institute Foundation, The University of Chicago

Abstract

SINCE meat is composed of a number of tissue elements, it is reasonable to assume that its organoleptic characteristics are determined jointly by the physical and chemical characteristics of each of the components as well as their relative proportions and distribution. Muscle variability in these respects seems to account for the wide range in tenderness and other organoleptic qualities of various meat cuts (Ramsbottom and Strandine, 1948).

When considering factors associated with tenderness (Brady, 1937; Hammond, 1940) the muscle fibers as a histological entity seemed not to have received as much attention as that directed to the roles played by the connective tissues: collagen (Beard, 1924; Bell et al., 1941; Cover, 1937 and 1941; Lehmann, 1907; Mackintosh et al., 1936; Mitchell et al., 1926 and 1928); elastin (Mackintosh et al., 1936; Mitchell et al., 1928; Winegarden et al., 1952), and fat (Beard, 1924, 1942; Hankins and Ellis, 1939). Yet the importance of muscle fibers to any consideration of tenderness is obvious.In the first place, they constitute more than three-quarters of the entire volume in muscle tissue.

¹ Journal Paper No. 114, American Meat Institute Foundation. This work was conducted at the American Meat Institute Foundation, and was supported in part by Research and Marketing Funds under contract with the U.S.D.A.

² The authors wish to acknowledge the technical assistance of James Wachter, Donald Fredrickson, Virginia Bates and Evalyn Granquist for shear force determinations and preparation of samples and to express their appreciation to Eugenia Hoffert and Irene Dabkiewicz Ginger for obtaining the taste panel scores for tenderness included in this paper.

³ U. S. Department of Agriculture.