Abstract
The objective of the experiment was to study the nutritive value and meat quality aspects of domestic cattle (Bos taurus), zubron (Bos taurus × Bison bonasus) and European bison (Bison bonasus) meat. The bulls and zubrons were fattened to 600–650 kg of body weight using the same feeding regimen. The European bison meat was from selective shooting of males. The meat was analysed for chemical composition, fatty acid composition, meat quality characteristics and thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARS) value. Compared to beef, zubron and European bison meat had a lower content of crude fat, crude ash and a higher moisture content. The meat of the zubrons and European bison showed a lower content of saturated fatty acids and a higher content of polyunsaturated fatty acids compared to beef. The shear force of meat was highest for European bison meat and lowest for beef. Higher a* and b* colour parameters were established in European bison and zubron meat. The highest TBARS value was found in beef.
Highlights
The development of the European bison (Bison bonasus) population in Europe enables them to be used for semen and crossed with dairy or beef cattle (Bos taurus)
Zubron meat, and European bison meat were analysed for basic chemical composition, fatty acid composition, α-tocopherol content, lipid oxidation and selected culinary quality characteristics
The beef originated from 10 domestic cattle (Holstein-Friesian [HF] x Limousin) bulls and the Zubron meat was obtained from 9 zubron bulls produced as a result of inseminating HF cows with European bison semen
Summary
The development of the European bison (Bison bonasus) population in Europe enables them to be used for semen and crossed with dairy or beef cattle (Bos taurus). Zubron are obtained as a result of such crossbreeding More extensive studies on the crossing of cattle with European bison were conducted in the. 1980s and this research is carried out today. Zubron were found to be characterised by good adaptation to harsh environmental conditions, good feed conversion, and high rate of weight gain The research published to date failed to evaluate zubron meat for nutritive and culinary value parameters. The increased crossing of dairy or beef cattle with European bison semen could be an interesting solution for breeders interested in new directions in livestock production while offering an alternative to beef
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