Infrared thermal images and corresponding pH, temperature, and hot carcass weight measurements of beef carcasses

This dataset comprises information from 60 bovine half-carcasses left, evaluated before and after chilling. All half-carcasses were weighed postmortem to obtain the hot carcass weight (HCW). Initial pH and temperature were measured immediately after slaughter in the Longissimus thoracis muscle. Simultaneously, a single thermal image frame of the lateral surface of each half-carcass was acquired using an infrared thermographic camera for both hot (pre-chilling) and chilled (24 h post-chilling) conditions. After 24 hours of refrigerated storage, final pH and temperature measurements were collected in the same anatomical region. The complete dataset can be used for the future development of predictive models for ultimate muscle temperature and pH, supporting meat quality assessment. In addition, thermal images enable the application of deep learning methods for image segmentation and feature extraction, as well as the development of predictive equations for hot carcass weight and robotics and automation applications in slaughterhouses. Although these data have been partially used in a scientific publication, they remain suitable for reuse, benchmarking, and additional analyses, allowing the application of alternative methodologies and exploration of new research objectives in meat science and precision meat processing.