Prerigor infusion of lamb with sodium chloride, phosphate, and dextrose solutions to improve tenderness.

Combinations of sodium chloride, phosphate, and dextrose solutions were infused prerigor into lamb carcasses to evaluate effects on tenderness, palatability, color change and microbiological growth during simulated retail display. Each carcass (n=48) was randomly assigned to one of the following: (1) deionized water (dH(2)O), (2) 2% NaCl (S), (3) 3% dextrose (D), (4) 0.5% tri-polyphosphate (P), (5) 2% NaCl and 3% dextrose (SD), (6) 2% NaCl and 0.5% tri-polyphosphate (SP), (7) 0.5% tri-polyphosphate and 3% dextrose (PD), and (8) 2% NaCl, 0.5% tri-polyphosphate, and 3% dextrose (SPD). The right side was pumped to 120% its original green weight and the corresponding left side served as the paired control in a nested design. The SD, SP and SPD solutions improved (P<0.05) Warner-Bratzler shear force values (WBS), sensory panel evaluations for tenderness, decreased cook loss, and increased ultimate pH when compared with their corresponding controls. In addition, no adverse affects on color or microbiological growth were observed for any of the treatments.