Meat is defined as the flesh of cattle, swine, sheep or goats that is consumed for food. Beef meat is from cattle, including bulls, claves, cows, steers and oxen.
Cattle, sheep and pigs are often referred to as ‘red meat’ species and poultry as ‘white meat’. Meat consists of muscle fibers held together by connective tissue and interspersed with nerve and blood vessels, which normally accompany tissue.
Connective tissue is a fibrous structure composed primarily of collagen fibrils. A single muscle contains a number of fiber bundles, held together by sheath of connective tissue, epimysium.
Group fiber is associated into fiber bundles which in turn, are surrounded by a sheath of connective tissue, by perimysium. The basic unit of muscle is the fiber, and it is bounded by the endomysium and sarcolemma.
Muscles in mature animals have higher contents of collagen cross-links than the same muscles from young animals. The type of collagen cross-link is also different; as the animal age increases many of the collagen cross-links are transformed from a soluble type to an insoluble type, resulting in increased toughness of meat.
All meat sold in United States must be inspected for wholesomeness by the government, usually by the USDA nationwide. USDA also grades meat. Beef cuts are judged by the palatability characteristics of the meats.
What is meat?
