Effect of two-stage chilling on eating quality of beef

The objective was to study the effect of two-stage chilling on eating quality of beef. Twenty crossbred cattle were selected (Yanbian cattle×Simmental cattle) to study the effect of two-stage chilling (TC -13--15℃ for 2 h, air velocity of 3 m/s, then changed into conventional chilling till 24 h) and conventional chilling (CC 0-4℃ for 24 h) on eating quality value of beef. The test results showed: Two-stage chilling increased the rate of the carcass temperature drop, decreased the rate of pH value drop, decreased evaporative loss of carcasses, helped to improve the color of beef, and increased shear stress, but had no significant effect on water holding capacity of beef. In the cattle slaughter process, the separate two-stage chilling treatment could decrease the tenderness of meat. With the increase of aging time, shear stress value would decrease. Electrical stimulation treatment should be combined with two-stage chilling to improve the eating quality of meat.