Water-holding capacity of fresh meat determines the visual acceptability thus influencing the consumers’ willingness to purchase the product. Meat juiciness is an important contributor to eating quality and also plays a key role in meat texture, probably contributing to its variability.
Juiciness increases flavor, helps soften meat - making it easier to chew, and stimulates saliva production in the mouth. Water retention and lipid content determine juiciness. Marbling and fat around edges helps hold in water.
Meat juiciness is considered to arise from moisture released by meat during chewing, and moisture from saliva, and is influenced not only by meat-related factors, such as fat content, but also by physiological and psychological factors inherent to individual tasters.
The consequence of poor WHC is low cook yields and often “dry (lack of juiciness)” of meat.
Juiciness of meat
