Marbling Analysis for Evaluating Meat Quality: Methods and Techniques

Marbling is one of the most important traits determining the quality of meat, and the richness of marbling is often considered by consumers as the primary factor when buying meat in view of its contribution to sensory characteristics of meat. In the market, there has been a constant demand for meat products with an assured degree of marbling. Conventionally, marbling of meat is assessed by visual appraisal or chemical analysis, which has the disadvantages of being subjective and time-consuming. In order to improve the detection accuracy and production efficiency, a variety of modern instrumental techniques, including spectroscopic techniques, imaging techniques, and hyperspectral imaging, have been developed for marbling analysis. This paper gives a comprehensive overview on the recent advances in marbling analysis. What's more, the advantages, limitations and some perspectives on the future trends of these techniques are also presented.