ABSTRACT
Muscle quality, as it relates to the consumption of muscle tissue as meat, is usually considered to be a composite of traits that make it either desirable or undesirable. This chapter focuses on those traits that most affect the appearance and functionality of fresh, postrigor, uncooked, uncured meat. These traits include pH, water-holding capacity, protein solubility, color, and marbling. The basis for variation in these traits and the methods for their evaluation are reviewed. Since the longissumus muscle represents one of the most valuable parts of the carcass, and since it is one muscle quite prone to adverse quality, it is the most frequently chosen for the assessment of pork or beef quality. Both the ventral surface90 and cross section of porcine longissimus muscle have been used for color and structure evaluation. Since muscle marbling is a very good indicator of the total concentration of intramuscular fat, it affects the consumer response at the point of purchase.
