STORAGE PROPERTIES OF PRIMAL CUTS OF HOT‐ AND COLD‐BONED BEEF

One side from each of 10 carcasses was selected for electrical stimulation and hot-boning within 1 h postmortem while the opposite side was chilled for 48 h at 2 to 3 C before boning. Ten boneless primal cuts were removed from the hot- and cold-boned sides. Each cut was evaluated for lean color, fat color and shape. Hot- and cold-boned primal cuts were vacuumized and stored for 20 days at 2 to 3 C. After the storage period, all cuts were again evaluated for lean and fat color and shape. Weight loss during storage was calculated for each cut. After 20 days of storage, hot- and cold-boned cuts did not differ significantly in lean color; hot-boned cuts had fat that was significantly whiter than that of cold-boned cuts; cold-boned cuts were more nearly normal in shape than were hot-boned cuts; and hot-boned cuts retained their vacuum longer and lost considerably less weight during storage than cold-boned cuts.