As beef producers continue to improve efficiency, understanding the process of growth and development is crucial as cellular skeletal muscle characteristics, such as tenderness, can ultimately have an impact on consumer acceptance of meat products.
The Animal Slaughtering and Processing Production Index 12-month moving average rose continuously through the first three quarters of 2015 and is up 1.9 percent on a year-over-year basis.
The three main palatability characteristics of beef are flavor, tenderness and juiciness (Savell 1987, Lyford 2010, McBee 1967), with tenderness and juiciness being primarily physical properties.
Poultry, pork and beef processors are experimenting today with more automation and robotics in cutting and deboning operations, which will, they hope, lead to increased speed, efficiencies, worker safety and food safety.