Beef Quality Traits Research Articles

Effects of diet, breed and slaughter endpoint on growth performance, carcass composition and beef quality traits in Limousin and Charolais steers

Ninety-six Charolais and Limousin steers were used to evaluate 75% grain (whole barley or corn) diets and two slaughter endpoints (7 mm backfat or 568 kg liveweight) in an experiment designed to constrain carcass weights to under approximately 341 kg yet produce optimal beef quality. Each breed was represented by eight progeny from each of six sires. The trial was terminated after 281 d feeding regardless of individual steers attaining designated slaughter endpoints. Limited availability of dietary energy in whole-barley diets resulted in decreased (P < 0.01) average daily gain and increased (P < 0.01) dry matter intake, feed/gain and days on feed for barley- vs. corn-fed cattle. Charolais outgained (P < 0.05) Limousin but dry matter intake was similar on a g BW00.75 basis. Feeding to 568 kg liveweight was associated with high (P < 0.10) ADG and decreased (P < 0.05) feed/gain compared with feeding to 7 mm. Corn feeding increased (P < 0.001) carcass weights, fat deposition and longissimus muscle area. Lean deposition was greater (P < 0.01) in Limousin than Charolais. Taste panel assessment of tenderness, flavour and juiciness in longissimus muscle was generally not affected (P > 0.10) by diet, breed or slaughter endpoint. Twelve primal ribs from each of Agriculture Canada's marbling classifications (A, AA, AAA) were purchased and processed identically to ribs from the test cattle. Shear and tenderness scores were similar (P > 0.10) across test cattle and purchased ribs, despite intramuscular fat contents of 20.2, 27.1, 35.6 and 49.7 g kg−1 respectively, for test cattle and trace, slight and small marbled ribs. Slight and small marbled ribs did have higher (P < 0.05) taste panel scores for initial juiciness and flavour than ribs from the test cattle. While 26% of carcasses from test cattle graded Canada B1 due to either inadequate finish or marbling, similar tenderness and shear scores were probably due to age of test cattle at slaughter which averaged 481 ± 45 d plus the fact that all roasts were aged 7 d prior to freezing. Key words: Charolais, Limousin, marbling, fatness, palatability, carcass weight, beef cattle, tenderness

Implant program effects on performance and carcass quality of steer calves finished for 212 days.

We compared the effects of seven implant treatments combining use of Ralgro (RAL), Synovex-S (SYN), and Revalor-S (REV) on performance and beef quality traits of crossbred steer calves (n = 560) finished for 212 d. A randomized complete block design was used to compare treatments consisting of 1) non-implanted control (CON); 2) RAL on d 0, SYN on d 60, and REV on d 130 (RALSYNREV); 3) RAL on d 0, REV on d 60, and REV on d 130 (RALREVREV); 4) SYN on d 30 and REV on d 130 (SYNREV); 5) REV on d 30 and REV on d 130 (REVREV); 6) REV on d 0, REV on d 75, and REV on d 150, 12.5% crude protein diet (REV3X-12.5); and 7) REV on d 0, REV on d 75, and REV on d 150, 14.5% crude protein diet (REV3X-14.5). All implant groups had higher ADG and gained more efficiently (ADG: feed intake) than the CON group. No distinct performance advantages were noted for particular implant schemes. Implant treatments did not (P > .05) affect dressing percentage, carcass weight, or KPH fat percentage. Fat thickness did not differ (P > .05) for implanted vs CON steers; however, REVREV, SYNREV, and RALREVREV steers produced fatter carcasses than did REV3X-12.5 and RALSYNREV steers. The REV3X-12.5 and REV3X-14.5 treatments increased longissimus muscle area compared with CON; longissimus muscle areas for all other treatments did not differ (P > .05) from CON. No reduction in percentage of Choice and Prime carcasses occurred with use of SYNREV or REVREV; however, all treatments receiving three successive implants had lower (P < .05) percentages of Choice and Prime carcasses than the CON group. Increasing dietary crude protein seemed to lessen the detrimental effect of three successive REV implants on percentages of Choice and Prime carcasses. Loin steaks from REVREV, REV3X-12.5, and REV3X-14.5 steers had higher (P < .05) shear force values than steaks from CON steers.

Retail consumer acceptance of beef tenderized with calcium chloride

Beef inside round subprimals were injected with a 200 mM calcium chloride (CaCl2) solution at 5% (wt/wt) to determine its effects on beef steak palatability and quality traits. Alternating subprimals from the right and left sides were selected for injection of CaCl2 or not injected to serve as a control. After 7 d of postmortem storage, 2.5-cm-thick steaks were cut from each subprimal for consumer evaluation (n = 478) in a retail setting. Three supermarkets with customers varying widely in income were selected as test sites for measuring consumer perceptions of the treated and control steaks and package labeling acceptance. Supermarket, income level, education, and sex were evaluated for their impact on acceptance of calcium-injected beef. Steak flavor and tenderness both were important in determining beef eating quality; 50% of consumers said tenderness was the most important and 40% said flavor was the most important. Consumers visually preferred CaCl2-treated steaks 71% of the time over the control steaks based on package labeling. The CaCl2 injection improved tenderness, juiciness, flavor desirability, and overall palatability ratings by the consumers for inside round steaks and did not cause any off-flavor problems compared with the controls. Therefore, injecting beef with a solution of 200 mM CaCl2 at 5% (wt/wt) can improve retail consumer evaluations of beef steak tenderness and reduce tenderness variation without detrimental effects on other palatability or quality traits.

Postmortem injection of calcium chloride effects on beef quality traits.

Twenty-two Bos indicus type steers were commercially slaughtered, and their carcasses were chilled and processed to determine the effects of injecting calcium chloride (CaCl2) on beef steak palatability and quality traits. Top loin and inside round subprimals were removed from each carcass using industry fabrication procedures. No injection (control) or injection of 200 mM CaCl2 at 5% (wt/wt) was applied at 30 h postmortem to subprimals from alternating right and left sides. After vacuum storage for 7 d postmortem at 2 degrees C, 2.54-cm thick steaks were cut from each subprimal. Eighty-six percent of the control longissimus lumborum (LL) steaks and 78% of the semimembranosus (SM) control steaks had Warner-Bratzler (WBS) values > 4.5 kg, and the injection of CaCl2 reduced this percentage to 43 and 24%, respectively. The injection of CaCl2 improved (P < .05) trained sensory tenderness ratings for both LL and SM, while not affecting (P > .05) flavor intensity or causing any off-flavor problems (P > .05), compared with the controls. Lean color scores for the LL were not affected (P > .05) by the injection of CaCl2, but SM lean color was lighter red (P < .05) than controls. Therefore, a 5% (wt/wt) injection of 200 mM CaCl2 solution can be applied under commercial conditions to improve beef steak tenderness and reduce tenderness variation without detrimental effects on other palatability or quality traits.

Improvement of beef tenderness and quality traits with calcium chloride injection in beef loins 48 hours postmortem.

Boneless strip loin subprimals (n = 24) were fabricated from 12 USDA Standard yield grade 2 carcasses at a commercial beef processing facility and processed 48 h postmortem to determine the effect of injection of 200 or 250 mM calcium chloride (CaCl2) solution at 5% (wt/wt) on beef quality traits. One-third of the subprimal served as the control; the remaining portion was injected with either 200 or 250 mM CaCl2 at 5% (wt/wt). The CaCl2 concentration treatment was randomly assigned to strip loins fabricated from either the right or left side of the carcass. After 7 or 14 d of postmortem storage at 2 degrees C, 2.5-cm-thick steaks were cut from each control and treated portion of the subprimals and evaluated for Warner-Bratzler shear (WBS) force, retail display characteristics, Minolta colorimeter L*, a*, and b* values, and trained sensory panel ratings. Treatment of the muscle with 250 mM CaCl2 increased (P < .05) trained sensory panel tenderness and beef flavor scores, and both CaCl2 concentrations decreased WBS force values, when compared with the control. Scores for color, uniformity, and browning in the retail display case did not differ (P > .05) for the 200-mM treatment compared with the control. Scores for discoloration in the retail display decreased (P < .05) for all three-way interactions of CaCl2 concentration, aging time, and display time after d 2 (except 7-d control, which remained the same [P > .05] d 1 through 5). The L* values did not differ (P < .05) for interactions of CaCl2 concentration, x aging time, and retail display.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Effects of postmortem injection time, injection level, and concentration of calcium chloride on beef quality traits

Two experiments were conducted to determine the optimum protocol for maximizing meat quality with CaCl2 injection. Experiment 1 compared the effects of 30 min or 24 h postmortem injection of 175 mM CaCl2 or water at 10% (wt/wt) to controls on various measures of meat quality. An injection of CaCl2 reduced (P < .05) shear force values in all three beef muscles evaluated (longissimus, semimembranosus, and triceps brachii). Retail lean color was not affected (P > .05) by a CaCl2 injection at 24 h postmortem, but was slightly darker (P < .05) for an injection at 30 min postmortem. Psychrophilic and total aerobic microbial counts were higher (P < .05) in 30-min than in 24-h treatments and were higher (P < .05) in CaCl2- or water-injected semimembranosus muscle than in the control, but the treatment differences were minimal in 24-h injected meat. Experiment 2 compared the effects of 24-h postmortem injection of 200 mM or 250 mM CaCl2 at either 5 or 10% (wt/wt) to controls on meat quality traits. Both 200 and 250 mM CaCl2 reduced (P < .05) shear force values compared with the control. In addition, variation in shear force was decreased (P < .05) with CaCl2 injection. Beef flavor intensity was slightly lower (P < .05) and off-flavor ratings were slightly higher (P < .05) in CaCl2-injected meat, but the small differences were of no practical significance. Retail lean color was not affected (P > .05) by injection of the CaCl2 at 24 h. Injecting 200 mM CaCl2 at 5% (wt/wt) into 24 h postmortem meat can produce consistently tender meat without compromising other palatability or lean quality traits.

VACUUM AGING, DISPLAY AND LEVEL OF NUTRITION EFFECTS ON BEEF QUALITY

ABSTRACTVacuum aging and display effects on various quality traits of beef produced from 38 cattle on four nutritional regimes (grass‐, short‐, long‐, and forage‐fed) were studied. Anterior halves of the longissimus, biceps femoris, semitendinosus, and semimembranosus muscles were fabricated into steaks at 48 hr postmortem; the posterior halves were vacuum aged for 21 days at 0—1°C before fabrication. Taste panel, shear force and cooking analyses were done on steaks from each muscle half before and after 5 days of display under continuous lighting at 1,076 lumens/m2 (100 ft‐c) of deluxe warm white fluorescent light. Vacuum‐ aging improved (P &lt; 0.05) taste panel tenderness, juiciness and flavor, scores; reduced Warner‐Bratzler shear values and increased total and volatile cooking losses for averages of muscles and feeding regimes. Taste panel flavor scores were lower and drip and total cooking losses were reduced (P &lt; 0.05) after vacuum‐aged cuts had been displayed for 5 days. Shear force values continued to decline (P &lt; 0.05) during display. Initial taste panel tenderness and flavor scores were less desirable for steaks from grass‐ and short‐fed cattle. Vacuum aging improved (P &lt; 0.05) tenderness, juiciness, and flavor scores in steaks from grass‐ and short‐fed cattle, but flavor scores were less desirable in these steaks after 5 days of display. Shear force values were lowest (P &lt; 0.05) in steaks from long‐fed cattle. Total cooking and drip losses generally were lowest (P &lt; 0.05) in steaks from grass‐fed cattle. Vacuum aging increased (P &lt; 0.05) total cooking loss in all steaks except those from the short‐fed regime but reduced the variation in total cooking loss across all nutritional regimes.