Table 3 Comparison of cooking loss and objective texture properties in the groups categorized by coarseness of marbling fleck at the carcass grading site and longitudinal location of the longissimus thoracis muscle
| Coarseness (C) | Low | High | Level of significance |
| Location (L) | Central (13/12T)1 | Thoracic (9/8T) | Front thoracic (6/5T) | Central (13/12T) | Thoracic (9/8T) | Front thoracic (6/5T) | C | L | C×L |
| Cooking loss (%) | 19.9 (0.84)2 | 21.0 (0.84) | 23.7 (0.84) | 19.6 (1.38) | 21.3 (1.38) | 22.0 (1.38) | NS | NS | NS |
| WBS (N) | 54.2a (3.04) | 44.1b (3.04) | 48.1ab (3.04) | 39.5b (5.56) | 40.8b (5.56) | 38.8b (5.56) | * | NS | NS |
| Texture profile analysis |
| Hardness (N) | 20.7 (1.03) | 18.0 (1.03) | 19.1 (1.03) | 19.5 (1.63) | 19.5 (1.63) | 17.8 (1.63) | NS | NS | NS |
| Adhesiveness (N · mm) | 0.85 (0.13) | 0.47 (0.13) | 0.65 (0.13) | 0.95 (0.21) | 0.34 (0.21) | 0.78 (0.21) | NS | NS | NS |
| Cohesiveness | 0.31 (0.01) | 0.28 (0.01) | 0.28 (0.01) | 0.28 (0.02) | 0.25 (0.02) | 0.29 (0.02) | NS | NS | NS |
| Springiness (mm) | 5.25 (0.21) | 5.38 (0.21) | 4.86 (0.21) | 5.03 (0.31) | 5.40 (0.31) | 4.86 (0.31) | NS | NS | NS |
| Gumminess (N) | 7.72a (0.43) | 5.26b (0.43) | 5.36b (0.43) | 7.51a (0.65) | 5.57b (0.65) | 5.11b (0.65) | NS | *** | NS |
| Chewiness (N · mm) | 45.2a (2.81) | 30.6c (2.81) | 30.1c (2.81) | 41.8ab (4.22) | 34.1b (4.22) | 26.0c (4.22) | NS | ** | NS |
Level of significance, NS, not significant
* p<0.05
** p<0.01
*** p<0.001.
1 T, thoracic vertebrae.
2 Standard error of least square means.
a-c Different superscripts in the same row represent significant differences (p<0.05).