Table 3. Correlation coefficients (r) of marbling characteristics and meat quality traits of the longissimus thoracis muscle from Hanwoo steers

Variables Marbling score IMF content Marbling fleck characteristics
Fleck number Marbling area Marbling area ratio Coarseness (C) Fineness (F) F/C ratio
Age at slaughter −0.09 0.08 −0.09 0.06 0.08 0.02 −0.10 −0.06
pH45 min −0.15 0.05 −0.04 0.09 0.05 0.15 −0.13 −0.15
pH24 h 0.04 0.15 −0.27* 0.11 0.15 0.08 −0.02 −0.02
Lightness 0.36** 0.38** −0.03 0.22 0.38** 0.05 0.36** 0.10
Drip loss −0.08 0.11 0.12 0.01 0.11 0.13 0.03 −0.11
FFU −0.02 −0.14 −0.02 −0.04 −0.14 0.09 −0.12 −0.02
Cooking loss −0.29* −0.31* 0.09 −0.22 −0.31* −0.03 −0.30* −0.01
WBS −0.34** −0.28* −0.03 −0.27* −0.23 0.01 −0.22 −0.01
p<0.05;
p<0.01.
IMF, intramuscular fat; FFU, filter-paper fluid uptake; WBS, Warner-Bratzler shear force.