Methods for Enhancing Meat Tenderness a Main Key Factor of Meat Palatability: A Review

The consumers now ask for nutritions high quality foods and food products. The main quality factors and attributes
of meat and meat products acceptability and salability are colour, texture, flavour, juiciness, and tenderness.
Tenderness is major determinant parameter of meat quality. Research and development studies were carried out using
traditional and novel technology to maximize meat tenderness. Chilling temperatures at the pre- and post-rigor stage,
have a significant effect on toughness and tenderness of meat. The applications of green non-thermal, energy saving,
and quick technologies are now in use in the meat industry for enhancing meat tenderness and other meat palatability
characteristics. Maximizing meat tenderness can be achieved through traditional and novel methods. Enhancing meat
tenderness can be achieved by ageing, electrical stimulations, electric pulses, exogenous and endogenous proteases,
shockwaves, ultrasonic, tumbling, tender bound vacuum packaging, mechanical or chemical infusion methods. Tenderness
is an important consumers’ desirable factor concerned with soft chewing and cutting of meat. Tenderness
and juiciness are two of the major determinant eating parameters of meat qualify, as assessed by the consumers. The
tenderness process plays a marked effect on the macrostrains, connective tissues, muscle fibers cells enzymes and
proteins. Enhancing meat tenderness cab be accompanied by improving other quality and palatability parameters, as
increasing flavour and juiciness. On the other hand, drip as well as cooking loss are decreased by improving tenderness.
Meat tenderness is a main factor in increasing the overall acceptability and the marketing value of all meat cuts,
particularly those of low value. The choice of the cooking method should achieve an evenly cooked tender, and juicy
meat based on the meat cut and the costumer preference.