A total of 25 cattle (5 purebred Simmental, Limousin, or Chianina bulls and 10 each of steers and heifers (1/2 blood Simmental, Limousin, or Chianina) 11 to 15 months of age and with carcasses weighing approximately 270 kg, after approximately 255 days on a high concentrate ration, were utilized to evaluate the effects of electrical stimulation upon the retail acceptability and case‐life of boneless rib steaks. The right side of each carcass was electrically stimulated at 400 V (AC 50 to 60 cycles/sec) using a hog stunner with a maximum output of 5 amps, immediately after splitting, while the left side served as an unstimulated control. A boneless rib steak from each side was wrapped, placed into simulated retail display, and evaluated daily for lean color, extent of surface discoloration, and retail acceptability. Evaluations of odor and microbial quality were also made prior to and immediately following retail display; and percent free moisture (drip) in each package was determined immediately after display. Retail case‐life was assessed to be the point at which the steaks were rated unacceptable (a mean retail acceptability score of 3.5). Significant treatment effects (P<0.05) were not observed in any of the measures of initial retail acceptability or of retail case‐life. The results of the present study indicate that with the type of cattle evaluated and under the conditions in which the study was conducted electrical stimulation did not produce sufficient improvement in retail acceptability or case‐life to be of practical significance.
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Jeremiah et al. (1981) studied this question.
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