Meat tenderness is a core physical indicator for evaluating the edible quality of meat products. It reflects muscle protein structure, intramuscular fat distribution and muscle fiber status, and directly affects consumers’ eating experience. The tenderness of livestock and poultry meat provides valuable reference for meat product grading, livestock breeding research and optimization of meat processing technology. Shear force value is the quantitative basis for judging meat tenderness: higher shear force means tougher meat, while lower shear force indicates more tender meat.
According to NY/T 1180-2006 Determination of Meat Tenderness — Shear Force Method, this test measures the shear force of livestock and poultry muscle samples to quantitatively evaluate meat tenderness, and provides objective test data for food processing plants, inspection institutions and scientific research colleges. The ST-16A Meat Tenderness Tester is used for the shear force test.
Livestock and poultry muscle samples
Select a whole meat sample with dimensions no less than 6cm×3cm×3cm, remove surface fascia and fat. Heat the sample in an 80℃ constant-temperature water bath; take it out when the core temperature reaches 70℃, then cool it down to a core temperature of 0–4℃. Use the matched 12.7mm sampler to drill cylindrical samples parallel to the muscle fibers, with sample length ≥2.5cm. Discard defective specimens, prepare at least 3 parallel samples per group, and conduct testing immediately after sampling.
Power on and enter the test interface, install the shear probe. Set the test direction to downward, test speed to 60mm/min, select breakpoint ratio as the stop condition, enable automatic stop when specimen fractures, and save the parameters.
Place the prepared meat sample steadily on the anvil bench, perform zero reset calibration, and start the test. The cutter cuts downward through the sample; the instrument collects force and displacement in real time and outputs the force-displacement curve simultaneously. The maximum shear force displayed after testing is the tenderness result of this specimen.
Complete the test of all parallel samples in sequence, open the data viewing page, read the maximum value, minimum value and arithmetic mean of multiple samples, record the test data, and print the test report as required.
Each group requires no fewer than 3 parallel sample tests. The instrument collects force and displacement in real time, and extracts the maximum shear force peak of each specimen after testing. The instrument has a measuring range of 0–250N, resolution of 0.01N, and indication accuracy better than ±1%. It automatically calculates the maximum value, minimum value and arithmetic mean, displays the force-displacement curve synchronously, and allows unit switching between N and kg. Abnormal outliers caused by sampling defects, misaligned muscle fibers or tilted specimens are excluded; the arithmetic mean of valid data serves as the final tenderness result. The range and relative deviation of parallel samples are calculated; if the deviation is excessive, recheck sampling, water bath pretreatment and specimen fixation, and retest. The highest point of the curve is the shear force peak for cutting through muscle fibers; the section before the peak is the penetration stage, and the drop after the peak indicates specimen fracture. Large curve fluctuations show uneven fat and fascia distribution in the sample. Lower shear force means more tender meat, while higher shear force means tougher meat. With a test speed of 60mm/min, 12.7mm matching sampler and specimen length ≥2.5cm, the test complies with NY/T 1180-2006 standard. The average value can be used for meat grading, breed comparison and process effect verification. Data can be archived, and an optional printer outputs reports with curves. Before issuing the report, verify sample number, test speed, peak value and curve; abnormal data shall be noted with reasons. The results meet the requirements of food quality control, inspection institutions and scientific research institutes for meat quality testing.
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