According to the results of the sensory analys is and the comments of the assessors, it was concluded that shear force values over 120 N/g represent very tough meat and values below 100 N/g tender meat . The shear force results for M. longissimus dorsi of the individual carcasses are given in Fig. 2 at 5 d postmortem and in Fig. 3 at 21 d. Slaughterhouses are put in the order of
ascending mean pH at 7 C. It can be seen that not only are the longissimus dorsi muscles from slaughterhouses with a low pH at 7 C the most tender, but also the variation is lower. Most longissimus dorsi muscles in slaughterhouses E and F are not tough at 5 d postmortem, and all shear force values were below 120 N/g level by 21 d postmortem. On the contrary, meat from slaughterhouses with high pH at 7 C (G, D, B and A) are mostly very tough and the variation is about twice as
high as in low pH at 7 C ones (E and F). In addition, in the longissimus dorsi samples from slaughterhouses with low pH at 7 C (E, F and C) a clear tenderising effect of ageing can be seen, but in these of higher pH at 7 C the high variation in tenderness remained, and the toughest
samples did not become more tender with ageing