Biochemical changes of postmortem meat during the aging process and strategies to improve the meat quality

Abstract

Although meat color is an important quality attribute that influences purchasing decisions at the point of sale; repeat purchases are often dependent on tenderness. Aging is a postharvest value addition process commonly employed to improve meat palatability. Ideal aging time is critical for maximizing the benefits on palatability and stable meat color. Extended aging time (>14 days) decreases color stability, while it has a limited benefit on improving tenderness. Postmortem muscle is biochemically active, and various enzymes involved in metabolic pathways remain active. The use of high throughput techniques such as proteomics and metabolomics has helped to elucidate the molecular changes occurring at the cellular level. This chapter will discuss the effects of aging on the biochemical basis of meat color and tenderness, and some of the strategies to improve the value of extended-aged beef