Tenerezza : aspetti biochimici, pratici e focus sulla carne di vitello

Tenderness is the most important quality trait in meat and is affected by the slaughtering and post mortem practices. Understanding the biochemical factors involved in meat tenderization, can albw the best practices to be applied in order to improve it. After slaughtering, as well as anaerobic glycolysis and related pHand rdrop, there is a degradation process involving protease implicated in apoptosis (caspase) and myofibrillar/sarcoplasmic (calpain, cathepsin, proteasome) and collagen degradation (metallopeptidase). The enzyme activity is affected by: oxidation, pre-slaughter stress, pH and V decline and ageing time. A correct maturation is not only essential for beef but also for veal, in order to guarantee satisfactory tenderness without affecting other qualitative traits.