The use of near-infrared spectrometers (NIRS) for predicting meat quality traits directly in the abattoir was tested with three trials. For the calibration trial, spectra were acquired from the cross-cut surface of the Longissimus thoracis muscle on 1166 carcasses of Piemontese young bulls with a portable visible-near-infrared spectrometer (Vis-NIRS) and with a small hand-held instrument (Micro-NIRS). A sample of the same muscle was analyzed to provide the reference. Validation statistics of the two instruments were similar. Predictabilities of meat color and purge loss were good, whereas for the other traits they were less promising. The repeatability trial showed that post-slaughter factors, not predictable by NIR spectra collected in the abattoir, affect reference meat quality values. A trial under operative conditions showed that both spectrometers were able to capture the major sources of variation in most of the meat quality traits. Overall, NIRS could be used to predict the animals' “native” characteristics exploitable for genetic improvement of meat quality traits.

通过三项试验对使用近红外光谱仪（NIRS）直接在屠宰场中预测肉品质量进行了测试。对于校准试验，使用便携式可见近红外光谱仪（Vis-NIRS）和小型手持仪器（Micro -NIRS）。分析相同肌肉的样本以提供参考。两种仪器的验证统计数据相似。肉的颜色和清除损失的可预测性很好，而对于其他特征，它们的前景较差。重复性试验表明，屠宰后的因素无法通过屠宰场中收集的NIR光谱预测到，因此会影响参考肉的质量值。在操作条件下进行的一项试验表明，这两种光谱仪都能捕获大多数肉质性状变异的主要来源。总体而言，NIRS可用于预测动物的“本机”特征，可用于肉品质性状的遗传改良。