Textural changes in bovine meat treated with high pressure

The effect of high pressure (HP) treatment on mechanical resistance of post-rigor bovine meat (muscles Biceps femoris and Longissimus dorsi) pressurised at low temperature (10 degreesC) was studied. Two levels of pressure were used, 130 and 520 MPa for 260 s. The results show that HP treatment affects significantly (p < 0.05) the mechanical resistance of both raw and cooked meat (1 h at 65<degrees>C). Mechanical resistance of pressurised samples was higher than that of untreated samples. Among treated samples, those samples pressurised at 520 MPa showed higher toughness than those pressurised at 130 MPa. Increase of mechanical resistance is due to changes that occurs on the myofibrillar fraction rather than on the connective component. Based on these results, these treatment conditions seem to be ineffective to improved beef tenderness.