SUPPLEMENTATION OF VITAMIN E TO BOVINE FEMALES IN “WHITE COW”, MATURE BEEF, UPGRADING PROGRAMS

Abstract

ABSTRACT Forty cull cows were used to determine the effects of feeding supplemental dietary Vitamin E and a high‐concentrate feedlot finishing diet on fresh meat retail caselife and oxidized flavor of roast beef from carcasses of such cows. They were either fed a feedlot finishing diet not supplemented with Vitamin E (control; N=8) or were fed a feedlot finishing diet supplemented with Vitamin E for 14, 28, 42 or 56 days (N=8 for each time‐on‐feed). During the feeding period, the 32 cows in treatment feeding groups had access to a total of 50,400 IU of supplemental Vitamin E; cows in the 14 day time‐on‐feed group received the highest daily dose (3,600 IU/day) and those in the 56 day time‐on‐feed group received the lowest daily dose (900 IU/day) of supplemental Vitamin E. On average, tissue α‐tocopherol levels were increased from 2.39 μg/g (control) to 4.21–5.44 μg/g by 14–56 days of supplemental feeding. Supplemental feeding of dietary Vitamin E and a feedlot finishing diet had the greatest effect on the visual color and percent surface discoloration of top round and top sirloin steaks and had the least effect on the visual color and percentage surface discoloration of ground beef patties, tenderloin and strip steaks. Taste panelists were able to detect a slightly, but significantly, greater quantity of warmed‐over flavor components in the control roast beef than in the roast beef from cattle fed supplemental dietary Vitamin E and a feedlot finishing diet.