Tag: Rigor mortis

Meat consists of approximately 20% protein, and among these are the fundamental muscle proteins responsible for movement in living animals. Actin, along with myosin, is a primary myofibrillar protein and is therefore naturally present in all meat derived from muscle tissue. Its function is critical both in the life of the animal and in the post-mortem aging process that affects meat quality.

According to the USDA, animal muscle is composed of roughly 75% water and 20% protein, but the culinary product we know as meat is a result of significant biochemical and physical transformations. This process reveals why the question, 'is meat just cooked muscle?' has a much more complex answer.

While it's a common assumption, the primary difference between meat and living muscle tissue lies in the post-mortem changes that an animal's muscle undergoes after slaughter. These profound biochemical shifts are what transform living tissue into the food we know as meat.