Effects of hot boning on beef processed as mince

Cull dairy cows often end up being processed through hot boning facilities or processes. In hot-boning, muscle is removed from the skeletal structure pre-rigor mortis while the carcass is still relatively hot, packaged, and either frozen or chilled. Hot boning offers a cost-effective processing method where carcass chilling is not required. Manufacturing meat from hot boning and immediate freezing is predominantly used in the food service market for burger patty production. There is potential for this meat to be used more frequently in domestic retail beef mince production however the effect of rigor mortis suspension from freezing is not well understood. The overall project aim is to provide considered evidence and in situ validation of using pre-rigor and hot-boned meat from cull dairy cows for further processing into mince for retail display.