CHEMICAL ATTRIBUTES CHARACTERIZING STICKY POSTMORTEM AGING IN BEEF

Reports in literature on post-mortem sticky ageing are rare and data a bout chemical metabolites that occur particularly during sticky ageing are paltry contradictory. In the present study different chemicals (p H, NH3, TVB-N, H2S, R value, IMP, pyruvate and various volatile acids such as lactic acid, acetic acid, butyric acid, uric acid and pyroglut amic acid) were tested for their suitability to serve as parameters to characterize sticky post-mortem ageing in beef muscle samples. Result s show that a high butyric acid concentration (0.46 mu Mol g(-1)) seem s to be typical for sticky post-mortem ageing in beef. A distinction f rom onset of spoilage is possible due to the high butyric acid concent ration, a low ammonia content (10.5 mg 100 g(-1)) and a low pH value. From meat with normal ageing it can be differentiated by sensory, colo ur, smell, consistency, a high butyric and pyroglutamic acid content a nd a low IMP concentration (0.04 mu Mol g(-1)). (C) 1997 Elsevier Scie nce Ltd. All rights reserved.