Sj. Boleman et al., EFFECTS OF POSTMORTEM TIME OF CALCIUM-CHLORIDE INJECTION ON BEEF TENDERNESS AND DRIP, COOKING, AND TOTAL LOSS, Meat science, 39(1), 1995, pp. 35-41
The effect of postmortem time of calcium chloride (CaCl2) injection in
conjunction with postmortem aging was determined on 16 beef semimembr
anosus muscles. Each muscle was cut into four equal segments that were
randomly assigned: (1) no injection (control); (2) CaCl2 at 1 h postm
ortem; (3) CaCl2 at 12 h postmortem; or (4) CaCl2 at 24 h postmortem.
Samples were injected with a 0.3 M solution of CaCl2 at 10% by weight.
At 24 h postmortem, each segment was divided into two pieces that wer
e randomly assigned to either a 10-day aging period (2-degrees-C) or t
o frozen storage (-29-degrees-C). Shear force values were higher (P <
0.01) in control samples compared with injected samples and increased
linearly (P < 0.05) with time of injection. Drip loss was lower (P < 0
.01) in control samples compared with injected samples. A linear (P<0.
05) effect was found for the increases in cooking and total loss due t
o injection time. Aging decreased (P < 0.05) shear force values and co
oking loss. CaCl2 injection at 1 h postmortem was most effective in re
ducing shear force values and preventing excessive moisture loss. Howe
ver, injection at 12 or 24 h postmortem was also effective in lowering
shear force values.