Pre-rigor Water Injection and Post-rigor Sodium Citrate Treatment on Beef Tenderness

Authors

Bethany M. Sitz, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Pennapa Matayompong, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Christian D. Perversi, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Chris R. Calkins, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow

Date of this Version

January 2005

Comments

Published in 2005 Nebraska Beef Cattle Report. Copyright © 2004 The Board of Regents of the University of Nebraska.

Abstract

Thoracic limbs from 20 beef steers were used as post-rigor controls, prerigor controls (removed pre-rigor), or treated with combinations of sodium citrate and/or water to evaluate the effect of citrate on meat tenderness. Shear force values on steaks from the infraspinatus, supraspinatus and triceps brachii muscles revealed citratetreated muscles were more tender than water and post-rigor control treatments. It appears sodium citrate can tenderize meat independent of water injection.