Veal colour and other meat quality characteristics in calves fattened on maize silage and concentrate

M R L Scheeder,M Kreuzer,B Becker

doi:10.5194/aab-42-535-1999

Abstract

Abstract. Male Holstein (15) and female crossbred (15) calves, weaned from milk replacer at the end of experimental week 8, were fattened on a maize silage and concentrate diet (MSC). As a control 14 male Holstein calves were conventionally fattened on milk replacer only. The control calves reached the target slaughter weight of about 135 kg after 24.5 weeks and the MSC males after 28 weeks. The female MSC calves were slaughtered at the same age producing carcasses of 120 kg on average. MSC males were inferior to control calves in conformation, and MSC females showed the highest fat cover scores. Four MSC males expressed DFD (ultimate pH > 5.9 in M. longissimus dorsi (M.l.d.)) and were excluded from further Statistical analyses. The MSC calves had a significantly higher iron and pigment content in M.l.d., resulting in a darker (L*) and redder (a*) colour 24 h as well as 14 days after slaughter. Early visual judgement and instrumental measurements in the M. rectus abdominis (M.r.a.) 45 min and 24 h post mortem, using a colour scale and a Minolta Chroma-Meter, respectively, already showed significantly darker meat with increased redness for MSC calves. However, linear correlations with M.l.d. colour traits were rather low except for redness in M.r.a. 45 min p.m. and aged M.l.d. Haemoglobin concentration in blood, as assessed by a rapid method 3 d before slaughter, was overall on a relatively high level and showed no significant treatment effect and only weak or no correlation to colour traits. Apart from colour, meat quality of the MSC calves was either superior (shear force, collagen solubility, intramuscular fat, sensory tenderness, juiciness and acceptance) or equivalent (cooking loss, flavour intensity) to control. Therefore, the use of maize silage and concentrate in veal produetion seems promising, provided a pink veal colour would be accepted by trade and consumers.

Highlights

Colour is still the most important characteristic of veal, regarding the efforts undertaken to classify carcasses according to meat colour as early as possible (e.g. EIKELENBOOM et al, 1992; ANDERSEN et al, 1993), to record the consumer's pereeption and acceptance (e.g. BAUSCHMID et al, 1992) and to control iron intake in order to achieve a pale colour - sometimes even using chelating agents in the feed to reduce intestinal absorption (POMMIER et al, 1995)
Attempts to use supplementary feeds which better consider the demands of ruminant species than the exclusive use of milk and milk replacer diets are limited due to the high sensitivity of veal colour to additional iron; and colour still seems to be the most important - or even the only more or less defined quality criterion of veal
Since neither the haematological status nor rumination were supported by these additional feeds there seems to be no genuine advantage over milk replacer based Systems with respect to animal welfare

Summary

Introduction

Colour is still the most important characteristic of veal, regarding the efforts undertaken to classify carcasses according to meat colour as early as possible (e.g. EIKELENBOOM et al, 1992; ANDERSEN et al, 1993), to record the consumer's pereeption and acceptance (e.g. BAUSCHMID et al, 1992) and to control iron intake in order to achieve a pale colour - sometimes even using chelating agents in the feed to reduce intestinal absorption (POMMIER et al, 1995). A challenge for modern veal produetion is to find a balance between (i) the demand of trade and consumers for pale veal, (ii) animal welfare considerations, the use of appropriate fibrous feeds as well as supplementation of iron in an amount to avoid subclinical anaemia, and (iii) economical yield. One approach to meet the demands of animal welfare and economy may be the fattening of veal calves on grain based diets (MORAN et al, 1991). The objeetive of the present investigation was to determine the extent to which veal colour is affected in calves fed a concentrate and maize silage diet, how accurate the expected colour differences to milk replacer-fed calves could be measured either before slaughter or early post mortem (p.m.), and whether other meat quality characteristics are influenced

Methods

Results

Conclusion