Muscle characterisation by NMR imaging and spectroscopic techniques

This work illustrates the potential of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) for better characterisation and understanding of meat characteristics. Magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) allows energy metabolism in muscle to be followed, and the fatty acid composition of animal fat to be studied. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) affords a spatial resolution that characterises body composition and allows at each point of an NMR image quantitative measurement of parameters closely correlated with meat properties such as pH, cooking yield and water holding capacity. NMR is thus a powerful tool for meat research, and a reference for other less expensive techniques.