Table 2.
Comparison of meat quality characteristics of the Hanwoo longissimus thoracis muscle in groups categorized by Warner–Bratzler shear force (WBSF) value.
| WBSF Value Group | Level of Significance 1 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Low (n = 17) |
Medium (n = 18) |
High (n = 14) |
||
| Muscle pH | ||||
| Muscle pH45 min | 6.52 (0.08) 2 | 6.44 (0.06) | 6.46 (0.06) | NS |
| Muscle pH24 h | 5.51 (0.05) | 5.46 (0.04) | 5.48 (0.03) | NS |
| Meat color | ||||
| Lightness (L *) | 31.7 (1.76) | 33.4 (1.19) | 31.2 (1.09) | NS |
| Redness (a *) | 17.0 (1.60) | 16.5 (1.08) | 16.6 (0.99) | NS |
| Yellowness (b *) | 7.44 (1.06) | 7.66 (0.71) | 7.12 (0.66) | NS |
| Water-holding capacity | ||||
| Drip loss (%) | 1.25 (0.38) | 0.93 (0.28) | 1.45 (0.26) | NS |
| Filter-paper fluid uptake (mg) | 4.35 (1.28) | 2.81 (0.94) | 4.65 (0.87) | NS |
| Cooking loss (%) | 17.1 b (1.15) | 19.9 ab (1.05) | 21.7 a (1.48) | * |
1 Level of significance: NS = not significant; * p < 0.05. a–b Different superscript letters in the same row represent significant differences (p < 0.05). 2 Standard error of least-square means.