Identifying Optimal Electrical Stimulation Parameters for Beef with Diverging Carcass Weight and Composition to Improve Beef Color and Tenderness

• Grant number: 25/25730-9
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Master's degree
• Start date: March 12, 2026
• End date: September 11, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Animal Husbandry - Animal Production
• Principal Investigator: Saulo da Luz e Silva
• Grantee: Gabriely Oliveira Garcia
• Supervisor: Jordan Wicks
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Zootecnia e Engenharia de Alimentos (FZEA). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Pirassununga , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL), United States
• Associated to the scholarship: 25/14738-9 - Impact of Different Electrical Carcass Stimulation Systems on Nelore Meat Quality, BP.MS

Abstract

Beef quality is important for consumer acceptance, with tenderness and color being determining factors for market competitiveness, resulting in significant losses due to quality failures. The present research project aims to address the application of Electrical Stimulation (ES) as a precision processing strategy for carcasses with diverging weights and compositions.The objective is to define the optimal Electrical Stimulation parameters for heavy weight (HW) and light weight (LW) carcasses, understanding the complex relationship between ES, carcass size, cooling rate, and post-mortem pH decline. The central hypothesis is that the effectiveness of ES varies according to carcass weight and composition, leading to disparities in the final beef quality under current industrial chilling protocols.The study will be conducted using 600 carcasses (HW and LW) subjected to different ES voltage parameters. The methodology involves detailed monitoring of pH and temperature at multiple points, in addition to instrumental color evaluation (L*, a*, b*), carcass characteristics , and tenderness tests (Warner-Bratzler Shear Force). The results will provide critical data for the industry, allowing for the development of strategies that uniformize beef quality, maximize tenderness and color, and increase economic efficiency in varied carcass systems. (AU)