Meat quality and the acceleration of post‐mortem glycolysis by electrical stimulation

Abstract

Summary A brief period of electrical stimulation of freshly slaughtered lamb carcasses by 250 V pulses is shown to increase subsequent rates of post‐mortem glycolysis and hasten rigor onset. Stimulated carcasses put into a blast freezer at 5 hr post‐mortem were as tender as untreated carcasses held for 16 hr before freezing to avoid toughness caused by post‐mortem shortening. The relationship between the degree of acceleration of post‐mortem glycolysis and pulse voltage is also discussed.