Most of the colour values (L*, a*, b*, hue and chroma) of both muscles
remained unaffected by the various stunning methods; however, they
appeared redder (greater a* value) when the animals were subjected
to thoracic sticking following the application of LPPS and PS stunning.
Furthermore, penetrative stunning followed by thoracic sticking (PS)
also reduced cooking loss and lipid oxidation while improving waterholding
capacity and tenderness. The lowered TBARS level highlights
the benefits of PS in reducing lipid oxidation in beef. This could be
explained by the higher percentage of blood loss following LPPS
and PS, compared to unstunned slaughter followed by penetrative
stunning (US) (Figure 5). The findings further support earlier reports
that residual blood in the carcase and meat determine their stability
and shelf life.