The influence of elevated temperature conditioning on bison (Bison bison bison) meat quality

Elevated temperature conditioning (ETC: 10 degrees C until 10 h post mortem) was effectively employed as a means of cooling bison carcasses in order to avoid the cold-induced meat quality defects that are a risk with conventional bison carcass chilling (0-2 degrees C for 24 h). The ETC treatment maintained internal M. Longissimus lumborum and M. Semimembranosus temperature above 10 degrees C within the first 10 h post mortem. The time/temperature combination did not result in significant evaporative loss, although loss of weight during carcass cooling can represent a practical economic loss. ETC accelerated post-mortem glycolysis and pH decline, and resulted in samples of lighter, more intense red colour than those conventionally chilled. Significant improvement in both initial tenderness and tenderization during ageing was realized with the use of ETC. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.