Using reflectance spectroscopy to predict beef tenderness

A study was conducted to determine if reflectance measurements made in the near-infrared region of the spectrum were additive to reflectance measurements made in the visible region of the spectrum for predicting Warner–Bratzler shear force (WBSF) values. Eighty seven strip loins were collected following fabrication over 3 d at a commercial beef processing facility from heifer carcasses with Slight or Traces marbling scores. Spectroscopic measurements were made at approximately 50 h postmortem using a Hunter-Lab UltraScan. Subsequently, all strip loins were aged for 14 d, cooked to an internal temperature of 70 °C, and sheared to obtain WBSF values. Reflectance measurements obtained in the near-infrared region of the spectrum were correlated with WBSF values, however, these measurements were not additive to the predictive ability of reflectance measurements (R2 values did not differ) made in the visible portion of the spectrum when the use of broad-band wavelength filters were simulated. It was therefore determined, that both the visible and near-infrared spectra measure reflectance and that both methods are acceptable methods of tenderness prediction.