ABSTRACT
Anyone who has an interest in meat should know something about what it consists of . . . what the pieces are, how much of the whole each piece represents, and how to measure each piece. Furthermore, the interested and educated person really should know from where meat originates and how to measure its composition and what causes it to vary. This is what this chapter is about. When you have finished reading it, I hope you will have a clear picture of where meat comes from, what it consists of, why its consistency varies, and
how to assess it. This information should help provide a better understanding of how to use meat as a food, how to make it taste better and be more safe for consumption, and how its properties can be best utilized for further processing, storage, and distribution. Specific references, primarily by the author, are given for further details on specific topics (1-6).
