Stratification of connective tissue toughness in beef roasts assessed by simultaneous fluorometry and penetrometry

Image analysis application for automatic quantification of intramuscular connective tissue in meat

“…Many studies have focussed on muscle fibre, but there has also been considerable investigation of intramuscular connective tissue (IMCT), which has been shown to be a critical factor in meat tenderness. Swatland (2006) concluded that the strength of the strongest perimysium in aged beef roasts is more than twice the sum of the endomysial and myofibrillar strength. In a recent review of IMCT studies, Purslow (2005) reported the morphology, composition and amount of IMCT vary enormously among muscles, species, breeds and animals of different ages.…”