Electrical stimulation effect on heavy kid meat quality.

The effect of some electrical stimulation methods of carcass and side on rheological and colour characteristics of heavy kid muscles was studied. Myofibrillar fragmentation index was also detected and correlated to the meat tenderization. The stimulation of carcass at slaughter allows to obtain a more tender meat and with a lower chewiness than stimulated half dide. The aged side provides more tender meat than side stimulated after 30' from death, but doesn't differ from the carcass stimulated at slaughtering and furthermore ageing. The higher voltage (220 V) doesn't improve the rheological characteristics although the fall of pH values result stronger in the early hours post mortem. WBS resulted not much effective to test the tenderness of meat due to degradation of myofibrils but, instead, to measure the resistance of connective tissue. The electrical stimulation of carcass at slaughter produce paler meat with the lowest redness, chrome and lightness value. Meat obtained from stimulated side reaches the lowest myofibril fragmentation index and the highest value of hardness.