A potential index for assessing the tenderness of hydrodynamic pressure (HDP)-treated beef strip loins

The objective of this research was to obtain physicochemical data that might prove useful in understanding the effect of hydrodynamic pressure (HDP), shock-wave treatment on the structural and functional properties of the HDP-treated beef strip loins. A homogenization protocol that was sufficiently harsh to break-up the tissue yet sufficiently gentle to maintain the integrity of the remaining subcellular structures was therefore developed for HDP-treated beef strip loins. Physicochemical changes resulting from HDP-treatment revealed a relationship between shear resistance value (tenderness level) and protein distribution. The 10,800×g pellet of homogenized HDP-treated strip loins showed a decrease in the protein content associated with a decrease in shear resistance values (increased tenderness). Conversely, the soluble-fraction (post 48,200×g) showed an increase in protein content as the shear resistance value decreased (tenderness increased) from ∼11 to 6 kg. The data presented herein indicate that there is a relationship between the tenderness of hydrodynamic pressure (HDP) treated meat and the protein distribution in the HDP-treated samples.