Tenderness Gene Identified

Chewing on a tough piece of steak until your jaw aches may soon be a thing of the past. Scientists in New Zealand have helped identify the gene that makes beef tender and they are confident it can be bred into the national herd. In collaboration with American scientists, agriculture researchers in Otago have identified a method for making meat become tender much faster after slaughter. There is a wide range of tenderness in animals based on their genetic makeup. The researchers believe there are enough of the very tender variety to mean the gene responsible can be used for breeding purposes.