Project Number: 5438-31430-003-08
Project Type: Trust

Start Date: May 01, 2004
End Date: Apr 30, 2005

Objective:
To validate a previously-developed model for on-line classification of U.S. Select beef carcasses for longissimus tenderness using near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy.

Approach:
Spectroscopy will be conducted on-line at the IBP beef harvesting facility in Lexington, NE. Spectroscopy will be conducted on the ribeye muscle (longissimus) on the beef grading bloom chain approximately 2 min after the carcasses are ribbed. Spectroscopy will be conducted on carcasses that are likely to be graded USDA Select and USDA yield grade 1, 2, or 3. After grading, any carcasses that do not meet these specifications will be excluded from the experiment. Following spectroscopy and grading, carcasses will be fabricated and the strip loin will be obtained from the left side of each carcass. Strip loins will be obtained from 75 carcasses on each of six different production days. Strip loins will be transported to the MARC abattoir. At three days after slaughter, each loin will be trimmed. A 1/8-inch-thick slice will be removed from the anterior end of each strip loin, minced and snap frozen, and stored for potential use in future research to develop molecular approaches to prediction of beef tenderness. A one-inch-thick steak will be removed from the anterior end of each strip loin, cooked using a belt grill, and slice shear force (SSF) will be measured. The remainder of each strip loin will be vacuum-packaged and aged (33F) until 14 days after slaughter. Again, a one-inch-thick steak will be removed from the anterior end of each strip loin, cooked using a belt grill, and slice shear force (SSF) will be measured. The remainder of each strip loin will be vacuum-packaged and frozen for subsequent use in evaluation of additional tenderness prediction technologies as they become available.

Project Team

Koohmaraie, Mohammad

Related National Programs

Food Animal Production (101)