Meaty matters

It never ceases to amaze and impress me just how much knowledge EBLEX has produced and collected over the years. My colleagues Kim and Dennis, who look after meaty matters, are a case in point. Between them they have more than 50 years of research and development experience in matters of meat eating quality.

In recent months we have seen the benefits of their experience, as they have noticed a problem in abattoirs which could affect meat eating quality if not addressed. The issue is one of technology creep through evolution.

Let me explain.

A number of devices have been introduced to modern slaughter lines that involve passing electricity through the carcase. One of these is High Voltage Electrical Stimulation (HVES) and there are very good reasons for using it. The electric current causes the muscles to use up the sugars stored in them. The sugars are turned in to acids, which in turn cause the pH in the muscles to drop, and allows faster chilling. This helps avoid drip loss and evaporation loss, and speeds up maturation. The secret of success is to pass the right amount of electricity through the carcase and make sure the pH fall and chilling regime operate in synchrony.

Quite a few of these machines are in operation and ‘deliver the goods’. However, if you over-stimulate the muscles you can get a phenomenon known as ‘hot shortening’, which leads to tougher meat. Some plants use electrical stunning, followed by electrical immobilisation at the hide pulling stage. Both of these actions apply electrical stimulation to the carcase, which if not taken into account means the HVES machine will deliver too much stimulation, leading to hot shortening. Unfortunately because slaughter lines develop through evolution some examples of uncoordinated electrical activities have been discovered, which could ultimately affect meat eating quality.

Now for the good news: The problem can be resolved through the application of some considerable knowledge and experience, derived from good research in the areas of muscle chemistry and engineering.

So hooray for science and the tender beef and lamb we continue to eat.

If you are aware of a situation regarding meat eating quality, or any other subject our meat scientists may be able to help with, please drop me a line at duncan.pullar@eblex.org.uk.