The tenderness of meat of several breeds of cattle raised under New Zealand pastoral conditions

Abstract Three experiments are reported in which the tenderness of meat from 171 steers of 6 breeds (Angus, Friesian, Jersey, Ayrshire, Galloway, and Red Poll) was measured as shear forces. Generally, differences between breeds for meat tenderness were not statistically significant, although the meat of Jersey cattle was significantly more tender than that of some other breeds in one experiment, an effect which is consistent with overseas evidence. Some significant breed effects were shown on the way in which post‐mortem treatments, such as aging and pre‐rigor storage temperature, affected meat tenderness. Other measurements made on the muscles of some of the steers indicated that Jersey cattle had the highest level of intramuscular fat in one experiment, but there were no appreciable differences in sarcomere length or muscle pH between breeds of cattle.