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Scientific Basis for Electrical Stimulation

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Advances in Meat Research

Abstract

The development of electrical stimulation as a means of meat tenderization dates back to the basic work of Harsham and Deatherage (1951) and the patents assigned by them to the Kroger Company. Although the process was reported to tenderize beef carcasses, it was not adopted by the meat industry. The reasons for its failure to be accepted are probably related to the fact that cold shortening of prerigor muscle was not yet recognized, and thus means of preventing its development were not deemed necessary. Furthermore, the importance of meat tenderness had not yet been fully emphasized by consumer studies. The role of meat tenderness in consumer satiety was fully realized only when large-scale consumer studies emphasized its importance. Development of large supermarkets and the ready availability of precut and packaged steaks in self-service meat display cases did not occur until the late 1940s and early 1950s; consequently, the resulting lack of meat tenderness was only beginning to be recognized at this time so no emphasis was placed on the importance of the discovery that electrical stimulation improved meat tenderness.

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  1. Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA

    A. M. Pearson & T. R. Dutson

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Pearson, A.M., Dutson, T.R. (1985). Scientific Basis for Electrical Stimulation. In: Advances in Meat Research. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-5939-5_6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-5939-5_6

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