PSE & DFD MEAT

Lean Meat Quality

• Poor ante-mortem handling can produce PSE or DFD
meat and may influence eating quality.

• PSE affects pigs and DFD occurs in all species.

• PSE-like characteristics, particularly pale color, have

been reported in some turkey and chicken meat
recently.
The names describe the characteristics of
the muscle in comparison with normal
meat.

Pale Dark
Soft Firm
Exudative Dry
 They are
defined by PSE DFD
the pH value
of the meat
after 12–48
45 min post hours post
mortem of <6 mortem of >
6

Dark cutters
• The color of meat is one of the most important criteria
consumers use to select meat.
• Meat which is too pale or too dark is discriminated
against in preference to normal colored meat
• The large amount of exudate (drip loss or purge)
from PSE meat, especially if it collects in the
packaging, also contributes to the undesirable
appearance.
 Low pH and high
temperature causes
denaturation of some of
the muscle proteins
The large amount
leading to a reduction in of exudate reflects
the amount of water they a poorer water-
bind. holding capacity.

Shrinkage of the
myofibrillar
components expels When the muscle is cut
the resultant fluid the extra fluid exudes
into the extracellular to produce the exudate
space
The high pH results in relatively little
denaturation of the proteins, water is tightly
bound and little or no exudate is formed.
 Light scattering from the
meat surface is probably
caused by differences in
the refractive indices of
the sarcoplasm and
myofibrils.

The shrinkage of the

No shrinkage cause
myofilament lattice
translucent structure that
increases the amount of
absorbs rather than
light reflected from the
reflects light
meat.
• PSE meat reduced yield both of fresh meat and of
processed products like hams and bacon
• DFD meat has poor processing characteristics with
slow or uneven formation of cured meat pigments.
• Flavour development is poor in processed products
and flavour is poor in cooked fresh DFD meat
• PSE pork tends to taste dry and have poor texture
after cooking
Glycogen depletion ante mortem characterized by
very low levels of carbohydrates in the muscle.

The low levels of carbohydrates present in the meat

restrict the growth of lactic acid-producing bacteria

This encourages the growth of bacteria that

metabolize amino acids and proteins

These produce unpleasant smelling waste products.

The high pH value of the meat promotes this

bacterial growth.
Causes of PSE and DFD meat
• Both PSE and DFD meat are caused by stress
experienced live animal at and before slaughter.
 PSE
• The problem is greater in stress-susceptible genotypes.

• Poultry and pigs carry one or two copies of the

Malignant Hypothermia (Halothane) gene.

• Antemortem stress (short term stress) usually increases

the severity of PSE.

• Muscle pH drops very fast, body temp increases

causing the meat to be pale in color, soft in texture
with exudation of water.
DFD
Chronic stress that can produce DFD meat;

long periods without food (fasting)

fatigue caused by very long transport
under poor conditions
fighting that occurs when mixed together
• Caused by a shortage of glycogen at slaughter.
• Without enough glycogen to convert to lactic acid,
the muscle pH stays high, closer to 7.0 (living
muscle pH)
• Results in muscle too dark in color, firm in texture,
and dry on muscle surface