A comparison between two methods (Warner-Bratzler and texture profile analysis) for testing either raw meat or cooked meat.

Two methods for assessing texture characteristics of meat (Warner-Bratzler (WB) - and texture profile analysis (TPA)), both performed either on raw or on cooked meat, were tested in 96 samples of m. longissimus dorsi muscle of eight heifers and eight bulls, aged 1, 3 or 6 days post-mortem. A sensory analysis was also performed on 96 samples. Sensory variates were predicted by instrumental variates as follows: hardness was better predicted by TPA than by WB; springiness was only predicted by WB; juiciness was only significantly predicted by TPA; greasiness was always poorly predicted, but the prediction was better with TPA, and the number of chewings was also better predicted with TPA. Results suggested the convenience of performing a TPA for assessing meat texture as, in cooked meat, only TPA furnished highly significant correlations for hardness, for juiciness and for the number of chewings. Although WB could predict hardness and springiness, only the equation for the prediction of the number of chewings was useful (r(2)=0.171, P<0.004). It seems that texture parameters, assessed by a TPA and performed on cooked meat, are the best predictors of sensory texture in bovine meat.