Attributes Of Beef Research Articles

Effectiveness of food traceability system in the supply chain of local beef and beef sausages in Malawi: A food safety perspective

A study was conducted to determine status of traceability system implementation in the supply chain of local beef and beef sausages in Malawi, and tried to identify key factors affecting the implementation, in an attempt to find solutions to traceability issues, to ensure safety of these food products for consumers. Eighty-two (82) samples of cut beef (40) and beef sausages (42) were identified from retail outlets and followed retrospectively to determine if information trail generated along the supply chain link to identity of corresponding meat carcasses and live animals from feedlots. Fifty-eight (58) personnel for business operators involved in this supply chain and four (4) regulatory enforcement officers were interviewed to review level of knowledge on Food Traceability (FT) and Food Safety (FS) that is vital in food traceability implementation. Results of the study indicated that; it was not possible to trace attributes of local beef and beef sausages from retail outlets to cattle feedlots, personnel involved in this supply chain did not have adequate knowledge on FT and FS and that regulatory enforcement officers had adequate knowledge on FT and FS but contents of legislation could not allow them to effectively address issues of food traceability. It was, therefore, concluded that the supply chain of local beef and beef sausages in Malawi is not traceable which is a FS concern and a threat to public health and need to be swiftly addressed.

Performance, carcass and meat traits of beef steers finished on small-grain winter annuals in winter or on alfalfa pasture in summer

Performance and carcass traits of beef steers finished on small-grain winter annual pastures (SGWA) or alfalfa were compared. Treatments consisted of pure stands of cereal rye, triticale, wheat or alfalfa (Rye, Trit, Wht, and Alf, respectively). The 3 SGWA species were grazed during winter and early spring. Alfalfa was grazed during spring and summer. Three pasture replicates were assigned to each treatment with 10 animals each. A minimum of 7-mm subcutaneous rib fat thickness (determined by ultrasound) was defined as slaughter endpoint. After a 98-d finishing period all animals from Rye, Trit and Wht reached the target, and were ready for harvest. Alfalfa animals were slaughtered after 120 days. After slaughter, carcasses were individually graded and weighed to determine hot carcass weight (HCW) and hot carcass yield (HCY) was calculated. Seventy-two h post-slaughter, a section of steaks including the longissimus thoracis muscle (LT) was removed from the left side of each carcass for analysis including rib fat thickness (RFT), LT area (LTA), Warner-Bratzler-shear force (WBsf), drip-loss, cooking loss, instrumental color, muscle pH, sensory analysis, intramuscular fat content and lipid profile. Proximate composition, and lipid profiles of pastures offered were also determined. Alf animals had lower (P < 0.01) ADG than SGWA animals. Alfalfa animals took 22 days longer to reach the slaughter point. However, no pasture effects were detected (P ≥ 0.14) for HCY, LTA, RFT, WBsf, pH, muscle a* and b*, and subcutaneous fat L*, a* and b* color parameters. Muscle L* was greater (P < 0.05) and drip and cooking loss were lower (P ≤ 0.05) for Alf. Sensory panel scored Alf beef of greater (P < 0.01) juiciness, tenderness and beef-flavor. Rye beef was attributed highest off-flavor score. Alfalfa and Wht beef showed similar (P = 0.40) FA content, higher (P ≤ 0.02) than Rye and Trit beef. Rye beef had the lowest (P ≤ 0.02) FA content. Within the FA fraction, Alf had lower (P ≤ 0.02) proportion of SFA, greater t-MUFA content, greater (P ≤ 0.01) total n-3 concentration and the lowest n-6/n-3 ratio (P ≤ 0.01). Alfalfa beef resulted in greater (P ≤ 0.01) total CLA concentration. Although lipid profiles of forages related to observations in lipid profiles of beef, differences in drip and cooking loss and sensory attributes of beef that favored of alfalfa finishing were not explained in animal performance and fatness.

Effectiveness of using ultrasound readings to predict carcass traits and sensory quality in young bulls

The objectives of this study were to develop ultrasound-derived prediction equations in young bulls before slaughter to estimate carcass traits and beef sensory parameters and to determine the optimum moment pre-slaughter to estimate the sensory quality of beef from young bulls. Ultrasound images were measured in twenty live young bulls at 50, 25 and 1 days prior to slaughter. Intramuscular fat content, longissimus lumborum muscle area, carcass fatness, texture and sensory analysis were measured by a trained panel after slaughter. Partial least square methodology was used to find the relationship between the ultrasound measurements and the dependent variables, such as carcass traits, Warner-Bratzler shear force and the sensory profile. Additionally, a stepwise procedure was used to select the most informative ultrasound variables in the prediction equations for carcass and beef sensory traits. The results indicate that ultrasound testing in the feedlot offers promising potential. Early ultrasound scan measurements were useful during fattening to predict intramuscular fat content (R2 = 0.619, RMSE = 0.44%, 50 days prior to slaughter), while ultrasound scans taken close to slaughter were useful to predict kidney fat content (R2 = 0.717, RMSE = 0.96%, 1 day prior to slaughter). However, the prediction of sensory beef attributes was only useful for fatty flavor (R2 = 0.556, RMSE = 0.47%) at 1 day pre-slaughter. Thus, the prediction of fat parameters using ultrasound measurements could constitute a valuable tool in the process of selecting beef quality traits in young bulls before slaughter.

Concentrate supplementation with dried corn gluten feed improves the fatty acid profile of longissimus thoracis muscle from steers offered grass silage.

Concentrate supplementation of a grass silage-based ration is a typical practice employed for indoor winter finishing of beef cattle in many temperate countries. Plant by-products, such as dried corn gluten feed (CGF), can be used to replace conventional feedstuffs in a concentrate supplement to enhance the sustainability of ruminant production systems and to improve meat quality. This study examined the chemical composition, fatty acid profile, oxidative stability and sensory attributes of beef (longissimus thoracis muscle) from steers offered grass silage and concentrate supplements containing varying levels (0%, 25%, 50%, 75%) of CGF substituted for barley / soybean meal. Feeding 50%CGF decreased the protein content and increased intramuscular fat in comparison with 25%CGF. Total phenol content and iron-reducing antioxidant power followed the order: 0%CGF > 50%CGF and 25%CGF > 0%CGF=50%CGF, respectively. Compared to 0%CGF, 25%CGF and 75%CGF decreased C14:0 and increased C22:2n-6, C20:5n-3 and total n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids whereas 75%CGF increased conjugated linoleic acids and C18:3n-3. Diet did not affect the oxidative stability and sensory attributes of beef patties. The inclusion of up to 75%CGF in a supplementary concentrate for steers increased the proportion of health-promoting unsaturated fatty acids without negatively influencing the shelf-life and eating quality of longissimus thoracis muscle. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.

PSV-29 Influence of Akaushi Genetics on Color and Sensory Attributes of Beef from Grain and Grass-finishing systems

Abstract The effects of beef genetics and finishing system on color and sensory attributes of longissimus dorsi steaks were evaluated. Steaks were from Red Angus (RA, n = 30) and RA x Akaushi (AK, n = 30) fed with a mixed-species pasture forage (GRASS) or a total mixed feedlot ration (GRAIN). Animals were slaughtered at 18 (GRAIN) and 26 (GRASS) mo. Rib sections (11th and 13th) were collected 48 h postmortem from the left side of each carcass, cut into two 2.54 cm-thick steaks, vacuum packaged, and aged 14 d. One steak was frozen until water holding capacity and Warner Bratzler shear force (WBSF) analysis. The other fresh steak was evaluated for instrumental color and cooked for consumer panelists (n = 105) to evaluate flavor, texture, juiciness, and overall acceptability using a 9-point hedonic scale (1 = dislike extremely and 9 = like extremely). There was no difference between beef genetics. GRASS had higher chroma (more color saturation) and a* values (redder) compared to GRAIN treatment. There was genetics x diet interaction for hue angle and L* values, where RA had greater hue angle than AK in GRAIN (P = 0.01) and AK had greater L* (lighter, P &amp;lt; 0.01) than RA in GRASS. The GRASS-finishing reduced beef steaks thawing (-20 %) and cooking (-12.8 %) loss compared to GRAIN-finishing (P &amp;lt; 0.05). There were no differences (P &amp;gt; 0.05) in WBSF between finishing systems. Steaks from GRAIN received the greatest ratings (P &amp;lt; 0.01) for flavor, texture, juiciness, and overall acceptability compared to GRASS. Results indicate that the color attributes were influenced by finishing system. Furthermore, beef finishing system had a marked impact on steaks’ sensory attributes and consumer acceptability. The favorable results for texture and juiciness in GRAIN, which likely impacted overall acceptability, may be related to high marbling.

Fatty acid composition, shelf-life and eating quality of beef from steers fed corn or wheat dried distillers' grains with solubles in a concentrate supplement to grass silage

Thirty-six steers were randomly assigned to one of three dietary treatments fed ad libitum grass silage and concentrate supplements containing either barley/soybean meal (CON), 80% DM corn (CDGS)- or 80% DM wheat (WDGS)-dried distillers' grains with solubles for 124 days pre-slaughter. Chemical and fatty acid composition, shelf-life, and eating quality of longissimus thoracis muscle were determined. Dietary CDGS and WDGS increased the proportion of conjugated linoleic acids (P < 0.05) and tended to increase C18:3n-3 (P = 0.075) and total polyunsaturated fatty acids (P = 0.060) relative to the CON. Feeding diets containing distillers' grains reduced the lipid and colour stability of fresh beef patties stored in modified atmosphere packs (MAP), with CDGS exhibiting an intermediate effect between CON and WDGS. Diet did not negatively influence the texture profile parameters and eating quality attributes of beef stored in MAP. The inclusion of CDGS or WDGS in supplementary concentrates may improve the fatty acid profile but decreased the shelf-life of beef.

Quality Assessment of Beef Using Computer Vision Technology.

Imaging technique or computer vision (CV) technology has received huge attention as a rapid and non-destructive technique throughout the world for measuring quality attributes of agricultural products including meat and meat products. This study was conducted to test the ability of CV technology to predict the quality attributes of beef. Images were captured from longissimus dorsi muscle in beef at 24 h post-mortem. Traits evaluated were color value (L*, a*, b*), pH, drip loss, cooking loss, dry matter, moisture, crude protein, fat, ash, thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARS), peroxide value (POV), free fatty acid (FFA), total coliform count (TCC), total viable count (TVC) and total yeast-mould count (TYMC). Images were analyzed using the Matlab software (R2015a). Different reference values were determined by physicochemical, proximate, biochemical and microbiological test. All determination were done in triplicate and the mean value was reported. Data analysis was carried out using the programme Statgraphics Centurion XVI. Calibration and validation model were fitted using the software Unscrambler X version 9.7. A higher correlation found in a* (r=0.65) and moisture (r=0.56) with ‘a*’ value obtained from image analysis and the highest calibration and prediction accuracy was found in lightness (r2c=0.73, r2p=0.69) in beef. Results of this work show that CV technology may be a useful tool for predicting meat quality traits in the laboratory and meat processing industries.

Role of sustainability attributes and occasion matters in determining consumers’ beef choice

This study aims to evaluate the influence of socio-environmental attributes on the purchase intention of and the willingness to pay for beef, based on data from Brazilian consumers, using a discrete choice analysis model. Different consumption situations were analysed to check the influence of functional versus recreational/hedonic beef choice. Sixteen (16) hypothetical products were generated in eight (8) scenarios regarding the different socio-environmental attributes of beef. The findings confirm the importance of animal welfare and traceability in the decision-making process for beef purchase. The frequency of consumption, gender, and the presence of a known/familiar brand also influence the beef choice when making a functional (day-to-day) purchase, compared to a recreational/hedonic (barbecue) purchase. The study suggests that the beef industry and retailers should better explore various aspects of greenhouse gas emissions and animal welfare and highlight them in their communication strategies. Investigating the trade-offs between socio-environmental attributes allows a more in-depth evaluation of these attributes and contributes to the literature.

Quality indices and sensory attributes of beef from steers offered grass silage and a concentrate supplemented with dried citrus pulp

This study investigated the quality composition, oxidative stability and sensory attributes of beef (longissimus thoracis, LT) from steers offered grass silage and a concentrate supplement in which barley was replaced by 40% and 80% (as-fed basis) of dried citrus pulp (DCP). Dietary treatment did not influence the antioxidant status (α-tocopherol and total phenolic contents) and activities of LT (radical scavenging activity, ferric reducing antioxidant power and iron chelating activity). Feeding DCP significantly increased the proportion of conjugated linoleic acids and polyunsaturated fatty acids in beef. Lipid and colour stability of fresh beef patties stored in modified atmosphere packs (MAP) were unaffected by dietary treatment but feeding 40% DCP reduced (P < .05) lipid oxidation in aerobically-stored cooked beef patties. Beef patties stored in MAP for up to 7 days were assessed by sensory panellists to be juicier for those fed 40% DCP compared to 0% and 80% DCP. Results indicated that substitution of barley with DCP improved the fatty acid profiles of beef without negatively influencing the eating quality of beef.

Prediction of Sensory Attributes of Fresh Beef Using Advanced Spectral Analysis

One of the main roles of home economics tasks is to seek high quality food with desirable palatability and lowest costs. The development of an advanced method to guarantee the sensory and nutritional parameters becomes very crucial in modern food technology. Spectral imaging technology has more advantages over the other conventional methods in food quality evaluation due to rich information it provides. The main aim of the current study was to present a method for non-invasive determination of sensory quality attributes of beef based on spectral analyses of spectral images in the near infrared (NIR) region. Twenty seven of fresh beef samples were collected, spectral data were extracted and the sensory quality attributes were measured. The spectral signatures of beef samples and their corresponding sensory features were then analysed using partial least squares (PLS) regression yielding determination coefficients () of 0.97, 0.92, 0.49 and 0.93 for predicting juiciness, tenderness, flavour and overall acceptability, respectively. The results are very encouraging and implied that the proposed method has a great potential in non-ruinous determination of several sensory attributes simultaneously without tedious sensory panel evaluation. The study recommends applying this non-destructive technique in industrial scales to guarantee high quality of beef and meat products before being marketed to the consumers.

Plasma-Activated Water Treatment of Fresh Beef: Bacterial Inactivation and Effects on Quality Attributes

Nonthermal plasma has been widely considered as an effective method for bacterial inactivation in food safety. In this paper, the preservation of fresh beef was investigated using plasma-activated water (PAW) with different treatment time intervals ranging from 6 to 192 h. The effects of PAW on fresh beef preservation were evaluated with the microbial counts on the surface of fresh beef and its quality attributes. The bactericidal efficiency of PAW on fresh beef was found to be strongly dependent on the PAW treatment intervals and storage time. Results show that 24-h PAW treatment could achieve a reduction around 3.1 log for bacteria on the surface of fresh beef at 24-day storage and effectively extend the shelf life of fresh beef for four to six days. Moreover, when the PAW treatment interval time was greater than or equal to 24 h, there did not exist any significant changes in the quality attributes of fresh beef. Meanwhile, the overtreatment of PAW also had a negative effect on beef quality. In conclusion, the PAW could be a promising alternative to the traditional sanitizers applied in the fresh produce industry.

Combined effects of gamma irradiation and aging on tenderness and quality of beef from Nellore cattle

Combined effects of gamma irradiation (0, 3, 6 and 9 kGy) and aging (1 and 14 days) on quality attributes of vacuum-packaged beef from Nellore cattle were evaluated. The meat water holding capacity was affected by irradiation, increasing (p < 0.05) purge and cooking loss regardless of the dose used. Irradiation negatively affected myofibrillar fragmentation, but samples irradiated at 9 kGy had (p < 0.05) higher soluble collagen and lower shear force values. The meat metmyoglobin reducing activity was reduced (p < 0.05) by the irradiation process, inducing the metmyoglobin accumulation with increasing dose applied. Samples irradiated at 9 kGy presented (p < 0.05) higher lipid oxidation and lower oxymyoglobin proportion and color redness and chroma values. It was concluded that irradiation at 9 kGy combined with aging can be used as an effective tool for improving the tenderness of Nellore beef, but resulted in a discoloration of the beef.

Plasma-activated water (PAW) and slightly acidic electrolyzed water (SAEW) as beef thawing media for enhancing microbiological safety

Microbial decontamination during the thawing process would offer an effective intervention step to ensure food safety. In this study, plasma-activated water (PAW) and slightly acidic electrolyzed water (SAEW) are proposed as the thawing media to assure microbiological safety and retain quality attributes of beef. Compared to the conventional air thawing (AT) and water thawing (WT), PAW thawing (PT) and SAEW thawing (ST) were found to efficiently inactivate the total bacteria, fungi and yeast in beef by 0.83 – 1.76 logs. In addition, PT and ST did not pose any detrimental effect on the physicochemical and sensory quality attributes of beef compared with AT, WT and microwave thawing (MT). The oxidation of lipid and proteins and the structure of proteins in beef was better retarded by PT and ST. PAW and SAEW as active thawing media provided thawed beef with higher microbial safety and maintained quality attributes compared with conventional thawing methods.

Survey of Quality Attributes of Beef from Farmers Market Vendors

Farmers Market steaks (n = 39 ribeyes, n = 39 top loins, and n = 38 top sirloins) were procured to establish a baseline for palatability characteristics and to compare consumer acceptance of retail steaks (n = 20 ribeyes, n = 20 top loins, and n = 20 top sirloins) to beef sold in niche markets. Palatability was evaluated using Warner–Bratzler shear force (WBS) and consumer sensory panels. No differences (P&gt;0.05) were identified among Farmers Market steaks for WBS values nor between cuts for sensory panel ratings for Farmers Market or retail products. Overall liking and tenderness liking sensory panel ratings were lower (P=0.0493 and P=0.0058, respectively) for steaks from Farmers Markets when compared to retail. Farmers Market ribeyes and top loins were thicker (P=0.0107) than top sirloins. These results will help niche producers understand how their products compare to beef from traditional supermarkets and allow them to identify areas for improvement.

Investigating the use of visible and near infrared spectroscopy to predict sensory and texture attributes of beef M. longissimus thoracis et lumborum

The aim of this study was to calibrate chemometric models to predict beef M. longissimus thoracis et lumborum (LTL) sensory and textural values using visible-near infrared (VISNIR) spectroscopy. Spectra were collected on the cut surface of LTL steaks both on-line and off-line. Cooked LTL steaks were analysed by a trained beef sensory panel as well as undergoing WBSF analysis. The best coefficients of determination of cross validation (R2CV) in the current study were for textural traits (WBSF = 0.22; stringiness = 0.22; crumbly texture = 0.41: all 3 models calibrated using 48 h post-mortem spectra), and some sensory flavour traits (fatty mouthfeel = 0.23; fatty after-effect = 0.28: both calibrated using 49 h post-mortem spectra). The results of this experiment indicate that VISNIR spectroscopy has potential to predict a range of sensory traits (particularly textural traits) with an acceptable level of accuracy at specific post-mortem times.

84 Cooking loss of ground beef

Abstract This study was conducted to measure two quality variables of ground beef: cooking loss and shrinkage. Twenty 454g packages of ground chuck from a commercial grocery store 80:20 lean:fat ratio (calculated per label to be 71:29), and 20 packages of ground beef from a specific breed (SB) (calculated per label to be 75:25) were used. Each package was divided into four hand-formed patties weighing 118-120g (n = 80). Prior to grilling, the patties were weighed, circumference measured (cm), and thickness measured (cm). Patties were grilled on a George Foreman Grill to an internal temperature of 73.9° C. Cooking loss (meat drippings) from grilled patties was collected. After reaching the desired internal temperature, individual patties were removed from the grill, weighed, and circumference and thickness measured. Cooking loss was collected in a grease tray and from the grill surface with a spatula. Cooking loss was weighed (g) and contents poured into a glass jar and stored in a freezer for further evaluation. There was no difference (P &gt; 0.05) in cooking loss between the control and SB treatment, 61.40% and 61.34% respectively. A difference (P &lt; 0.05) was found in cooking shrinkage (circumference and thickness). Circumference between fresh and cooked showed a change of 15.48% (control) and 12.88% (SB) (P &lt; 0.05). Patty thickness between fresh and cooked changed by 9.32% (control) and 5.71 % (SB) (P&lt;0.05). Total cooking loss per 454g package did not differ 13.74% (control) and 14.16% (SB). However, when cooking loss was separated in solid and liquid portions, the solid portion was 19.71% (control) and 28.30% (SB) (P &lt; 0.05). These data indicate that quality attributes of ground beef vary between sources with similar lean:fat ratio.

Demand for High-Quality Beef Attributes in Developing Countries: The Case of Ecuador

AbstractConsumer preferences are likely to become more important in policy and market initiatives in developing countries. This study explores current and potential demand for high-quality beef in Ecuador. A survey of 547 households (including two choice experiments) was carried out in order to gather knowledge, quality perceptions, and experiences regarding Ecuadorian beef and preferences for specific beef attributes. Consumers have positive and economically significant willingness-to-pay values for all credence attributes considered in the study: sanitary control, meat maturation, animal welfare, and traceability. The results provide evidence that there is a potential market for increased-quality beef in Ecuador.

Capturing consumer value and clustering customer preferences in the Indonesian halal beef market

The Indonesian consumer behavior has changed over the last decades, and hence reviewing consumer value is crucial for the halal beef industry. This study explores halal beef consumer preferences and its segmentation. The research design constituted descriptive with a quantitative approach. Focus group discussions and consumer surveys were conducted through face-to-face interview toward 440 middle-class Muslim households in Indonesian top ten cities. The data analysis uses conjoint and clusters analysis. The essential attributes of halal beef in the order of priority are a red color, zero residues, latest production, halal guarantee label positions for each cluster, clean, tender, and flavor (p-value = 0.000). Beef consumers consist of four clusters comprising sanctity, clarity, quality, and safety. Based on demographic characteristics, the age and family size differences among groups were not significant, with each p-value at 0.356 and 0.189, while based on consumption and buying preference, each cluster has not significantly different in their beef consumption level, with a p-value at 0.102.

A predictive model for the evaluation of flavor attributes of raw and cooked beef based on sensor array analyses.

There are currently no standardized objective measures to evaluate beef flavor attributes, especially the comparison between raw beef and cooked beef. Beef flavor attribute is one of the most significant parameters for consumers. This study described a predictive model using a 12-ion-sensor array and sensory properties to evaluate beef flavor attributes based on potential. Then the number of sensors was reduced to six via variance of analysis, and these six sensors were reserved with the saturated calomel reference electrode to constitute a new sensor array. Sensitive flavors of each sensor were selected through multiple comparative analysis. Results showed that the accuracy rate of classifying five basic flavors (acidity, sweetness, bitterness, saltiness, freshness) using the new sensor array was 100%. The processing methods used were based on multivariate statistical methods done with the cluster analysis (CA). Results were compared to sensory evaluation using genetic algorithm (GA). From GA, the accuracy rates of raw and cooked beef were 85.0% and 90.0%, which was consistent with the sensory analysis results. Moreover, reducing the number of sensors could decrease the data dimensionality and detection time. Also raw beef instead of cooked beef could be used in flavor attributes evaluation. This model could become an important method for evaluating beef flavor attributes repeatedly and objectively.

A comparison of halal beef consumer preferences in majority and minority Muslim areas in Indonesia

Even though Indonesia has a majority Muslim population, there are several regions with different religious concentrations, such as the Bali region, which has a minority Muslim community. A deeper understanding of consumer preferences in several areas provides a unique value for the specific segment of consumers. This study examines halal beef consumer preferences in majority and minority Muslim areas. This study is descriptive, using quantitative data. The participants of this survey were 290 middle-class Muslim consumers. Data analysis used a chi-square (t-test). The top five beef attributes are the halal label, newness, appearance, aroma, and hygiene. However, there are additional attributes for middle-class Muslim consumers in minority Muslim areas, specifically, the beef is free of residue, has good prices, and a Muslim shop owner (p-value = 0.000). The pattern of buying and consuming beef in minority Muslim areas has the characteristics of rarely shopping for meat specifically, with less frequent meat purchases and less overall consumption of meat.