QUALITY‐INDICATING CHARACTERISTICS OF BEEF AS AFFECTED BY ELECTRICAL STIMULATION AND POSTMORTEM CHILLING TIME

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Abstract
Effects of electrical stimulation on quality‐indicating characteristics of beef were evaluated in two studies involving a total of 402 carcasses. Electrical stimulation (550 volts, 5 amps, 60 cycles per set) was administered shortly after the carcasses were split and consisted of 17 impulses of 1.8 set each with a 1.8 set interval between impulses. In Study 1, one side of each carcass (n=222) was electrically stimulated (ES) and the opposite side served as an untreated control (C). Both sides of each carcass were ribbed and evaluated at 24 hr postmortem. Study 2 included carcasses (n=180) in which (a) neither side was stimulated, (b) both sides were stimulated, or (c) one side was stimulated and the opposite side was not stimulated. Postmortem chilling time prior to ribbing also was varied to permit evaluations to be made of the effects of electrical stimulation on carcasses chilled for 24, 48, or 72 hr. In Study 1, ES sides were more desirable (P < 0.0001) than C sides in all quality‐indicating characteristics (marbling, USDA quality grade, lean maturity, lean color, lean firmness, and incidence of “heat‐ring”). In Study 2, optimum chilling time for maximizing marbling score and USDA quality grade was 48 hr for both ES and C sides. ES sides usually were more youthful (lean maturity) than C sides, especially at 24 hr postmortem. Control sides chilled for 48 hr had more marbling and higher USDA quality grades than did ES sides chilled for 24 hr. Nothing in the present study indicates that electrical stimulation results in a higher‐than‐justified quality grade.

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