ABSTRACT
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Two of the major concerns in the meat industry today are food safety and inconsistent meat quality, especially tenderness. A means of controlling and assuring a meat product’s safety and tenderness level is essential. Tenderness is the major criterion driving consumers’ decisions to purchase or repurchase meat. Unfortunately, tenderness has proven to be the most difficult quality factor for meat producers and meat packers to manage. Thus, a commercial method to ensure a consistently tender meat product is of primary importance for enhanced consumer acceptance of meat. A variety of techniques have been utilized for tenderizing meat. Techniques applied individually or in combination include mechanical, chemical, temperature conditioning, aging, electrical stimulation, high pressure heat treatments, and alternative carcass positioning. A number of these techniques require additional holding periods,
space, and labor. Furthermore, several of these methods have been criticized for their lack of consistency in tenderizing meat.
