Lesson plan
PSE meat
Pale, soft, exudative meat, or PSE meat, describes a carcass quality condition known to occur in pork, beef, and poultry. It is characterized by an abnormal color, consistency, and water holding capacity, making the meat dry and unattractive to consumers. The condition is believed to be caused by abnormal muscle metabolism following slaughter, due to an altered rate of glycolysis and a low pH within the muscle fibers. A mutation point in the ryanodine receptor gene (RYR1) in pork, associated to stress levels prior to slaughter are known to increase the incidence of PSE meat. Although the term "soft" may look positive, it refers to raw meat. When cooked, there is higher cook loss and the final product is hard, not juicy. The malignant hyperthermia (MH) or porcine stress syndrome (PSS) are the terms used to refer to the state pigs are found before slaughter, which will result in PSE. The other related defect is the dark, firm, dry (DFD) condition, or dark-cutter meat; it is also related to muscle glycogen metabolism and is the opposite result of PSE, i.e., it occurs if the post-mortem muscle pH is high.
Article summary
Pale, soft, exudative meat, or PSE meat, describes a carcass quality condition known to occur in pork, beef, and poultry. It is characterized by an abnormal color, consistency, and water holding capacity, making the meat dry and unattractive to consumers. The condition is believed to be caused by abnormal muscle metabolism following slaughter, due to an altered rate of glycolysis and a low pH within the muscle fibers. A mutation point in the ryanodine receptor gene (RYR1) in pork, associated to stress levels prior to slaughter are known to increase the incidence of PSE meat. Although the term "soft" may look positive, it refers to raw meat. When cooked, there is higher cook loss and the final product is hard, not juicy. The malignant hyperthermia (MH) or porcine stress syndrome (PSS) are the terms used to refer to the state pigs are found before slaughter, which will result in PSE. The other related defect is the dark, firm, dry (DFD) condition, or dark-cutter meat; it is also related to muscle glycogen metabolism and is the opposite result of PSE, i.e., it occurs if the post-mortem muscle pH is high.
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Discussion questions
- Summarise the article in your own words. Which single claim would you verify first, and why?
- Which claim in this article is most likely to be revised as the sources update? How would you check its current status?
- If two sources disagreed about one of these facts, what would you need in order to trust one over the other?
Bibliography
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Key claims and bibliography are generated from the same tracked claims and sources as the article page.