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Postmortem Muscle Alterations in Beef Carcass Temperature, pH and Palatability from Electrical Stimulation¹

Colorado State University, Fort Collins 80523

Abstract

Thirty-five yearling Hereford steers were grazed for 4 mo on Eastern Colorado range. At the end of the grazing period, 19 steers were slaughtered, and 16 were fed a high concentrate diet for 104 d and then slaughtered. The left side of each carcass was electrically stimulated within 45 min after slaughter. Electrical stimulation was effective in increasing tenderness and reducing shear force values. However, improvement was restricted primarily to steaks from forage-finished cattle and a level of tenderness comparable to that of steaks from the grain-finished group was not attained. Sarcomere length and tenderness appeared to be unrelated which suggests that electrical stimulation must produce improvements in tenderness by modes of action other than prevention of cold shortening. Effects on tenderness may be related to the immediate and more rapid decline in pH induced as a result of electrical stimulation.

¹ Scientific Series Paper No. 2518 published with the approval of the Director of the Colorado State Univ. Exp. Sta.

² Present address: North Dakota State Univ. Coop. Ext. Service, Bottineau 58318.

³ Present Address: Monfort of Colorado, Greeley, CO 80631.