Tenderization of beef by lactic acid injected at different times post mortem.

The potential to tenderize beef muscles by the injection of lactic acid (0.5 M, 10% w/w) was studied using the pectoralis profundus muscle from cull cows. The injection was performed either 1 h (pre rigor) or 24 h (post rigor) post mortem, and the meat was stored for 2 or 14 days post mortem. Both treatments caused a rapid pH drop to around 5.0 within 4 h of injection. Other effects were: (1) an accelerated release of lysosomal enzymes into the cytosol; (2) a greater degradation of myosin heavy chains; (3) ultrastructural alterations of the myofibrils which included a general weakening or rupture in the M-lines and, to a lesser extent, in the I-bands; (4) a decreased heat stability of perimysial collagen indicated by a lower insoluble collagen content, lower differential scanning calorimetry transition temperature, and lower transition temperatures in isometric tension tests on muscle strips. The lactic acid injections improved significantly the textural traits of the meat (shear value, tensile strength, sensory scores) at 2 days post mortem with little further improvement when storage was extended to 14 days post mortem. Changes in texture were of similar amplitude at both post mortem injection times. The tenderization mechanisms of lactic acid injection are discussed.