Fatty acid profile, meat quality and flavour acceptability of beef from double-muscled Piemontese young bulls fed ground flaxseed

Manuela Renna,Alberto Brugiapaglia,Emanuela Zanardi,Gianluigi Destefanis,Aldo Prandini,Maurizio Moschini,Samantha Sigolo,Carola Lussiana

doi:10.1080/1828051x.2018.1530958

Abstract

This study was designed to assess the effects of dietary flaxseed on the proximate composition, fatty acid profile, lipid oxidation, colour and flavour of the longissimus thoracis muscle of double-muscled Piemontese young bulls. Compared to a control diet, the flaxseed diet had no significant effect on the moisture, protein or ether extract content. Flaxseed modified the fatty acid composition of beef. A more than doubled n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) content (from 21.1 to 46.7 g/kg of total fatty acids – TFA – in control and flaxseed beef, respectively; p < .001) and a lowered n-6/n-3 PUFA ratio (13.13 versus 5.60; p < .001) were observed. The total trans-octadecadienoic acids were also increased by flaxseed (7.8 vs 12.1 g/kg TFA; p = .001). The total saturated fatty acids (SFA), monounsaturated fatty acids and PUFA contents, as well as the PUFA/SFA ratio, remained unaffected by the treatment. Lipid oxidation stability tended to be negatively affected by flaxseed (p = .096). Such a negative effect was more pronounced as the ageing period advanced. The malondialdehyde content was ≤0.72 mg MDA/kg meat, and was therefore below the threshold values for rancidity. Meat colour was not influenced by dietary treatment. The inclusion of flaxseed in the diet increased beef flavour intensity perceived by consumers and did not negatively affect flavour acceptability. Properly combining the choice of animal breed and diet allows a slight improvement of the nutritional value of meat for human consumption.HighlightsProximate composition, colour and flavour of Piemontese beef are not affected by dietary flaxseedDietary flaxseed increases ALA and long-chain n-3 PUFA and lowers the n-6/n-3 PUFA ratio of Piemontese beefFlaxseed unprotected from ruminal biohydrogenation does not allow labelling Piemontese beef as source of n-3 FA in the European Union

Highlights

The food scandals involving beef, the new eating habits of younger generations, the environmental and ethical issues related to animal production, the high prices of beef and the contemporaneous economic recession, are the main reasons why consumers have turned away from beef (Henchion et al 2014)
The ether extract content of beef from both C-and FS-fed groups was in agreement with previous results of our research group using identical analytical methods (Brugiapaglia and Destefanis 2012; Brugiapaglia et al 2014) and comparable with the values found on longissimus thoracis (LT) muscle of double-muscled Belgian Blue bulls (De Smet et al 2000)
Some authors have found that the ether extract (Corazzin et al 2012) and protein (Corazzin et al 2012; Barahona et al 2016) increase with the inclusion of flaxseed in the diet, even for the inclusion levels considered in the current trial

Summary

Introduction

The food scandals involving beef, the new eating habits of younger generations, the environmental and ethical issues related to animal production, the high prices of beef and the contemporaneous economic recession, are the main reasons why consumers have turned away from beef (Henchion et al 2014). In late-maturing beef cattle breeds, such as Continental European breeds, the amount of intramuscular fat in young bulls is about 2.5% and is even lower (about 1%) in double-muscled animals (mh/mh genotype). Owing to the low fat content, the beef from double-muscled animals has a lower SFA content and a more favourable polyunsaturated/saturated fatty ß 2019 The Author(s).

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Conclusion