Meat Texture

By: Suharyanto


Texture is a degree of meat fineness or coarseness. Texture measurement can be visually, touched or chewed. Although this is rather difficult determination, this trait is important for fresh meat because it is associated with some properties of fresh meat attributes, such as the status of rigor mortis, Water Holding Capacity (WHC) and others. Texture is usually associated with the hardness and structure of the meat. That is the level where the meat may have a shape and certain hardness and can affect meat quality.

Texture, hardness and structure of meat are influenced by several factors, including the WHC, rigor status, marbling fat, connective tissue content in meat and muscle bundle size. Meat with high WHC will have a stronger structure and a dry texture. Conversely, if WHC is low then flesh is soft, moist texture/ watery and toughness of meat is lost.

Meat in prerigor state has long sarcomere. When rigor, sarcomere shortened and peak rigor state, sarcomere lenght is very short. The short sarcomere indicates that sarcomerer contract to form the actomyosin or cross bridge bond. The formation of this bond, meat becomes harder and stronger.

The presence of fat marbling gives a soft texture. Low marbling content in meat marbling cause meat looks rough and dry. However, if excessive marbling produce meat with watery texture and it is also not good. Meat become soft and less rigid.
Besides a role in texture, marbling fat also influence the aroma and juiceness meat. Fat marbling will give the distinctive aroma of meat and usually preferred by consumers.

The proportion of high connective tissue that causes the coarse-textured meat and feels more hard and not soft.[]

Posted in: Animal Product Technology