Comparison of Different Postmortem Temperatures and Dissection Procedures on Shear Values of Unaged and Aged Avian and Ovine Muscles

Pre‐rigor dissected turkey muscles when heated in the rigor state had higher shear values than similarly heated rigor dissected controls. This difference was eliminated by aging. There was no difference in shear values between unaged and aged muscles which were dissected after rigor mortis. Chilling or freezing‐thawing either pre‐rigor or rigor dissected turkey muscles caused no increase in shear values. Aging these muscles produced no significant change in shear values. Turkey semi‐tendinosus muscle which entered rigor after pre‐rigor dissection had significantly higher shear values than the contralateral muscles which entered rigor in a stretched position. Aging for 7 days removed these differences in shear values. Shear values increased on heating unaged or aged (3 days) turkey pectoralis muscle between 50 and 100°C. The appearance of the curves for the unaged and aged muscles was similar. The effect of aging ovine muscles did not produce the same pronounced change in shear values that was obtained on the turkey muscles.