Thirty-six Polled Hereford steers with an average of 2 years old and 436kg live weight were used to verify the effects of hot boning and aging on meat quality. The hot boning was performed by removal of the Longissimus dorsi muscle when entering the chilling room. The loins were aged for 14 days at 2°C. The type of boning did not affect the temperature drop (P > 0.05), pH fall (P > 0.05), meat color, losses at thawing and cooking (P > 0.05). Hot boning caused more exsudation on the vacuum package (P < 0.05). The type of boning also did not affect tenderness. juiciness and palatability of the meat (P > 0.05) although the sarcomere length was shorter in hot boning than in the controls (1.66 and 1.85µ, respectively, P < .05). Aging promoted a darker color in vacuum packaged meat (P < 0.05), as well a tendency for more exsudation in the bag. It can be concluded that hot boning had no effect on the quality of the meat, although presenting higher exsudation and shorter sarcomere length. Aging did not improve the quality of the meat that was hot boned.
hot boning; aging; beef quality
