Round Muscle Profiling and Tenderness Markers in Beef

Introduction Lack of consistent tenderness is a major quality problem that significantly impacts the profitability of the beef industry. Conservative estimates indicate tenderness defects cost the beef industry over $216,000,000 annually (Morgan, 1995). Consumers rate tenderness as the top sensory trait considered when they are making purchasing decisions (Mennecke et al., 2007), and are willing to pay a premium in order to purchase a consistently tender product (Boleman et al., 1997; Miller et al., 2001; Platter et al., 2005).