Effect of Feeding Barley, Corn, and a Barley/Corn Blend on Beef Composition and End-Product Palatability.

Wilson Barragán-Hernández,Jennifer L. Aalhus,Gregory Penner,Payam Vahmani,Manuel Juárez,Óscar López-Campos,José Segura,Michael E. R. Dugan,Liliana Mahecha-Ledesma,Nuria Prieto

doi:10.3390/foods10050977

Abstract

This study evaluated the relationship among palatability attributes, volatile compounds, and fatty acid (FA) profiles in meat from barley, corn, and blended (50:50, barley and corn) grain-fed steers. Multiple correspondence analysis with three dimensions (Dim) explained 62.2% of the total variability among samples. The Dim 1 and 2 (53.3%) separated pure from blended grain-fed beef samples. Blended grain beef was linked to a number of volatiles including (E,E)-2,4-decadienal, hexanal, 1-octen-3-ol, and 2,3-octanedione. In addition, blended grain-fed beef was linked to fat-like and rancid flavors, stale-cardboard, metallic, cruciferous, and fat-like aroma descriptors, and negative categories for flavor intensity (FI), off-flavor, and tenderness. A possible combination of linoleic and linolenic acids in the blended diet, lower rumen pH, and incomplete biohydrogenation of blended grain-fed polyunsaturates could have increased (p ≤ 0.05) long-chain n-6 fatty acids (LCFA) in blended grain-fed beef, leading to more accumulation of FA oxidation products in the blended than in barley and corn grain-fed meat samples. The Dim 3 (8.9%) allowed corn separation from barley grain beef. Barley grain-fed beef was mainly linked to alkanes and beef positive FI, whereas corn grain-fed beef was associated with pyrazines, in addition to aldehydes related to n-6 LCFA oxidation.

Highlights

Beef is a valuable food for human nutrition, offering rich contents of available protein, fat, vitamins, and minerals
Use of integral analysis of multiple correspondence analysis (MCA) was able to separate barley and corn from blended grain-fed beef based on aroma/flavor profile, descriptive sensory attributes, and volatile compounds
The fatty acid profile of the meat samples suggested an influence of barley and corn in blended grain-fed beef on n-6 long-chain n-6 fatty acids (LCFA) deposition, which could have increased their oxidation potential

Summary

Introduction

Beef is a valuable food for human nutrition, offering rich contents of available protein, fat, vitamins, and minerals. Beyond health interest, beef consumption is strongly influenced by overall consumer liking, with flavor explaining between 38% and 48% of the variability [2,3,4]. Volatiles include alkanes, aldehydes, ketones, alcohols, furans, esters, and pyrazines as commonly reported, among other volatiles [9]. These compounds alone or together can positively or negatively stimulate the complex system of consumer senses located in the tongue, mouth, and nasal cavity to develop an opinion regarding its acceptability [8]

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