Reports in literature on post-mortem sticky ageing are rare and data about chemical metabolites that occur particularly during sticky ageing are paltry contradictory. In the present study different chemicals (pH, NH3, TVB-N, H2S, R value, IMP, pyruvate and various volatile acids such as lactic acid, acetic acid, butyric acid, uric acid and pyroglutamic acid) were tested for their suitability to serve as parameters to characterize sticky post-mortem ageing in beef muscle samples. Results show that a high butyric acid concentration (0.46 mu Mol g(-1)) seems to be typical for sticky post-mortem ageing in beef. A distinction from onset of spoilage is possible due to the high butyric acid concentration, a low ammonia content (10.5 mg 100 g(-1)) and a low pH value. From meat with normal ageing it can be differentiated by sensory, colour, smell, consistency, a high butyric and pyroglutamic acid content and a low IMP concentration (0.04 mu Mol g(-1)). (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
