Abstract: An apparatus and method for predicting meat tenderness, particularly with respect to raw meat, is disclosed. The invention does not require the removal or destruction of any cuts of meat from the carcass to which the method is applied. The method allows for the identification of tender meat product that might not be identified as tender using conventional United States Department of Agriculture quality grading methods. The method includes the insertion of one or more blunt, flat-tipped blades into a meat sample, measuring a value such as stress, force, or energy upon insertion of the blade, and calculating a tenderness factor therefrom based on a tenderness threshold.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for predicting meat tenderness, particularly with respect to raw meat, is disclosed. The invention does not require the removal or destruction of any cuts of meat from the carcass to which the method is applied. The method allows for the identification of tender meat product that might not be identified as tender using conventional United States Department of Agriculture quality grading methods. The method includes the insertion of one or more blunt, flat-tipped blades into a meat sample, measuring a value such as stress, force, or energy upon insertion of the blade, and calculating a tenderness factor therefrom based on a tenderness threshold.

Abstract: A nucleotide sequence having the following properties: it includes all or part of DNA fragment XbaI of 7 kb shown in FIG. 4A, as obtained from plasmid pCBM1 filed with the CNCM on Jun. 15, 1993 under no. I-1317; it hybridises with oligonucleotide probe 18A (TGT GAA GTI AAT TGT GA) SEQ ID NO:1 and/or oligonucleotide probe 16A (TTT CAT ATI GAA GCI GTI AAT GAA GG) SEQ ID NO:2 and/or at least one of probes 66A (ATG AAT ACI AAT ATI TTT TCI ACI AA) SEQ ID NO:3 or 66B (TC IGG TTC ICC ATA IAT CCA TTC ATC) SEQ ID NO:4 under stringent conditions; and it codes for a protein, polypeptide or peptide capable of participating in the toxic activity of the expression products of fragment XbaI of 7 kb against Diptera larvae and mosquito or sandfly larvae in particular. The polypeptides encoded by said sequence and their use in larvicidal compositions are also disclosed.