POSTMORTEM INJECTION OF CALCIUM-CHLORIDE EFFECTS ON BEEF QUALITY TRAITS

Twenty-two Bos indicus type steers were commercially slaughtered, and their carcasses were chilled and processed to determine the effects of injecting calcium chloride (CaCl2) on beef steak palatability and qua lity traits. Top loin and inside round subprimals were removed from ea ch carcass using industry fabrication procedures. No injection (contro l) or injection of 200 mM CaCl2 at 5% (wt/wt) was applied at 30 h post mortem to subprimals from alternating right and left sides. After vacu um storage for 7 d postmortem at 2 degrees C, 2.54-cm thick steaks wer e cut from each subprimal. Eighty-six percent of the control longissim us lumborum (LL) steaks and 78% of the semimembranosus (SM) control st eaks had Warner-Bratzler (WBS) values > 4.5 kg, and the injection of C aCl2 reduced this percentage to 43 and 24%, respectively. The injectio n of CaCl2 improved (P < .05) trained sensory tenderness ratings for b oth LL and SM, while not affecting (P > .05) flavor intensity or causi ng any off-flavor problems (P > .05), compared with the controls. Lean color scores for the LL were not affected (P > .05) by the injection of CaCl2, but SM lean color was lighter red (P < .05) than controls. T herefore, a 5% (wt/wt) injection of 200 mM CaCl2 solution can be appli ed under commercial conditions to improve beef steak tenderness and re duce tenderness variation without detrimental effects on other palatab ility or quality traits.