Abstract:
The amount of collectable blood during the early phase of slaughter was determined for 48 lambs in 4 treatment groups: a control group (no current, no thoracic stick), a thoracic stick group only and groups subjected to a thoracic stick and either an electric current of 14 or 10�Hz frequency. The current was applied to the ?skin-on' carcass soon after the stunning/sticking process and subsequent to the thoracic stick, with a view to increasing the volume of blood released at that time. With both frequencies there was a small, but statistically significant (P<0.05), increase in the amount of released blood over non-stimulated treatments. Samples of M. longissimus thoracis et lumborum were aged for 1 and 5 days before freezing. Warner?Bratzler shear force measurements indicated the effectiveness of the current applications in reducing shear force with the 14�Hz waveform being superior to the 10�Hz waveform and in a related way the degradation of myofibrillar proteins was greater in meat subjected to the 14�Hz treatment when examined using the myofibrillar fragmentation index.