Meat physical characteristics of Mucca Pisana calves: slaughter age and meat ageing effect

In this study, certain physical characteristics of the meat of Mucca Pisana calves were analysed. The research was carried out on three muscles (Longissimus dorsi, Semitendinosus and Caputo Longum Triceps Brachii) of 16 Mucca Pisana calves slaughtered at 14, 16, 18 and 20 monts old; the meat was aged 7, 14 and 21 days. Some of the physical characteristcis of the meat from the older animals were worse than from the younger ones; the optimal slaughtering age should perhaps fixed at 16-18 months. The optimal meat ageing period was 14 days, because during this period the physical parameters reached the optimal values, while a longer ageing period did not determine any physical improvement in the meat