Comparison of Warner-Bratzler shear force values between round and square cross-section cores for assessment of beef Longissimus tenderness

The objective of this experiment was to determine whether there is a difference between Warner-Blatzler shear force values of round (WBSF) and square (WBsSF) cross-section cores for assessment of beef tenderness. To compare the effect of core sampling, Longissimus thoracis muscles were obtained from 43 beef carcasses at 1, 14, and 28 days postmortem. For each sample, tenderness was assessed by a trained sensory panel and by WBSF and WBsSF techniques. There was a strong and linear relationship (R2 = 0.77) between WBSF and WBsSF, but the average shear force of square cores were (P < 0.05) greater than those of round cores. The WBsSF had greater repeatability (R = 0.85 vs 0.81) and explained slightly more of the variation in sensory panel perception of beef tenderness (76% vs 74%) than WBSF. The results indicate that WBsSF seems to be a more precise method of measuring shear force, being little more sensitive for detecting tenderness differences than WBSF.