This project explored glycolytic and sensory quality parameter variation within carcasses graded as dark cutting and compared these to normal carcasses.

Dark cutting is problematic and in an effort to discourage its prevalence, processors will generally discount and downgrade the value of these carcasses. Applying these findings, it is reasonable to conclude that components of a dark cutting beef carcass could be salvaged to regain a proportion of its undiscounted value. This could mitigate some of the associated economic and environmental impacts incurred from maybe not-so-inferior meat products.

If adopted, the chroma threshold for dark cutting identification could provide an objective alternative to current subjective methods of colour assessment.