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Abstract
Longissimus lumborum et thoracis muscles from 150 cattle comprising Czech Pied breed
bulls and cows were used to investigate the relationship between pH value and beef
tenderness as influenced by housing before slaughter and by the hanging mode of carcasses.
The pH value was measured in the loin at the end of the slaughter-line (pH(0)) and
after cooling of carcasses (pH(24),pH(48)). The texture of raw meat was measured 72h
post-mortem by the Warner-Bratzler shear method; the shear force was related to pH.
Curvilinear relationships with coefficients of correlation r=0.64 (P<0.05) for bulls
individually housed and r=0.83 for bulls housed in groups between the shear force
and the pH value 24h p.m. were found with maximal shear force (the most tough meat)
in the range of pH(24) from 6.2 to 6.4. Lower correlations (r=0.72 and r=0.54) between
pH(24) and meat tenderness were found in the case of cows individually housed and
housed in groups, respectively. No significant relationships were found between texture
and pH measured at the end of the slaughter-line (r=0.59 for bulls and r=0.65 for
cows) and 48h post-mortem (r=0.64 for bulls and r=0.50 for cows). The mode of housing
of cattle before slaughter influenced the properties of beef significantly. Meat of
bulls housed in groups before slaughter was less tender (the shear force was higher)
than meat of bulls individually housed. It could be explained by higher depletion
of glycogen before slaughter and thus insufficient pH decline. Generally, the meat
of cows was more tender than of bulls irrespective of housing. No significant differences
were found between the left and right halves of carcasses. Thus the mode of hanging
had no influence on beef tenderness.