Meat Quality Of Bulls Research Articles

Eating quality of the longissimus thoracis muscle in beef cattle – Contributing factors to the underlying variability and associations with performance traits

The objective was to determine the factors associated with meat tenderness, juiciness, flavour and chewiness in 4791 growing crossbred cattle. Meat quality of bulls was inferior to that of both steers and heifers with little difference between the latter two genders. Angus, Hereford and Belgian Blues had the most tender meat with the Simmental being the toughest albeit the difference was, on average, only 5%. Moderate to strong correlations (r ≥ |0.43|) existed among tenderness, juiciness and flavour although some of the correlations differed by animal gender. Correlations between chewiness and tenderness in the different genders varied from −0.81 to −0.74 while the correlations between chewiness and the other sensory traits varied from −0.54 to −0.09. The (partial) correlations between each of the four sensory metrics and all of carcass weight, carcass conformation and carcass fat score were ≤|0.09| with most not being different from zero. Correlations between the sensory traits with growth rate, muscle depth, feed intake and efficiency were all ≤|0.08| and mostly not different from zero.

Performance, carcass and meat quality of young bulls, steers and heifers slaughtered at a common body weight

Young bulls of lean continental cattle breeds raised on concentrates achieve high weight gains during fattening but may yield carcasses with low fat cover, which may have negative effects on meat quality. Fattening steers or heifers might be an alternative for these systems, but few studies have analysed in lean breeds the impact of castration of bulls at a similar BW or the performance of females. The aim of the trial was to characterise the growth, carcass and meat quality of bulls, steers and heifers of Pirenaica breed (lean beef breed) fed on concentrates and straw until a common body weight (475 kg). Bulls had greater weight gains than steers and heifers throughout the fattening period (P < 0.001). Bulls had greater plasma IGF-I concentration throughout the fattening period but lower leptin concentration from 400 kg onwards than steers and heifers when compared at the same BW. Regarding metabolites, the concentrations of glucose, beta‑hydroxy‑butyrate, urea and non-esterified fatty acids evolved differently in bulls, steers and heifers. At slaughter, steers and heifers had deposited more fat than bulls without other differences in carcass morphology. Regarding meat quality, meat of heifers had greater lightness and lower yellowness, chroma and hue value than that of bulls and steers. Meat shear force only tended to be different amongst sexes after 14 days of ageing (P < 0.10). Heifers had greater intramuscular fat content than steers and bulls. Total saturated fatty acids were similar amongst groups but monounsaturated fatty acids proportion was greatest in heifers, intermediate in steers and lowest in bulls. Polyunsaturated fatty acid proportion was greater in bulls than in steers and heifers. Only minor effects of sex were detected by the sensory panel, with more desirable flavours and higher tenderness in heifers. Therefore, despite the faster growth of entire bulls, fattening steers and especially heifers can lead to improved fat-related meat quality traits in lean breeds.

Growth of beef cattle as prediction for meat production: A review

Growth of beef cattle as prediction for meat production: A review

Evaluation of rumen temperature as a novel indicator of meat quality: Rumen temperature and haematological indicators of stress during the pre-slaughter period as predictors of instrumental meat quality in bulls

The use of new technologies such as rumen temperature boluses, together with the collective assessment of an animal stress responses may have the potential to act as an indicator of meat quality. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate rumen temperature as a novel indicator of meat quality, by investigating its relationship with welfare measures and instrumental meat quality. The study involved 42 Holstein bulls (15.8 ± 0.08 months of age), which were transported 42 km to a commercial abattoir. Mean rumen temperature rose by 0.511 °C (P < .001) during the pre-slaughter phase; peaking during lairage. In addition, cortisol, creatine kinase (CK) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) were significantly (P < .001) elevated at slaughter. Bulls with a greater rumen temperature during the pre-slaughter phase produced meat with significantly higher pHult. Pre-slaughter rumen temperature was positively associated with slaughter CK, slaughter cortisol, pHult, L* and a*. Thus, rumen temperature demonstrates the potential to be used both as a novel welfare indicator and predictor of meat quality.

Consumers’ sensory analysis of beef hamburger and tartare

Received: 2018-05-07 | Accepted: 2018-05-14 | Available online: 2018-11-26 https://doi.org/10.15414/afz.2018.21.04.145-148 In the last years, consumers preferences are more likely to purchase processed-meat products instead of single meat cuts. To adapt to the new demand, beef industry needs to study consumers’ sensory perception of the newly developed products to ensure their acceptability. This study aimed to examine consumers’ perception on sensory characteristics of two commercial processed-meat products (hamburger and tartare) from three different types of meat (Holstein-Italian bull, Charolaise bull, and Charolaise heifer). Sensory consumer test was conducted on a non-trained panel of 64 participants for each product to assess color, texture, odor, tenderness, juiciness, salty taste, flavor and overall satisfaction using a 1 (very low) to 7 (very high) intensity scale. Sensory data of each product was analyzed through a linear mixed model including meat type and order of presentation as fixed effects, and participant and residual as random effects. Chemical composition was determined by standard methods in 9 samples of each product (3 samples/type of meat). For hamburgers, protein ranged from 15.9 to 17.0% and fat from 9.1 to 12.9%. For tartare, protein ranged from 20.1 to 20.3%, and for fat from 3.2 to 5.2%. For hamburger, participants perceived differences (P&lt;0.05) in color, tenderness and juiciness between meat types, being the Charolaise bull the most appreciated (P&lt;0.05). For tartare, panelists reported differences (P&lt;0.05) in color, texture and tenderness, being the Charolaise heifer the most appreciated (P&lt;0.05). Our results suggested that the type of meat used related to the fat content can modify consumers’ sensory perception of processed-meat products. Keywords : bull, heifer, meat quality, processed-meat References AOAC (2000). Official Methods of Analysis, 17th ed. Arlington: Association of Official Analytical Chemists. Bureš, D. and Bartoň, L. (2012) Growth performance, carcass traits and meat quality of bulls and heifers slaughtered at different ages. Czech J. Anim Sci., 57 (1), 34-43. Campo, M.M., Sanudo, C., Panea, B., Alberti, P., Santolaia P. (1999) Breed type and ageing time effects on sensory characteristics of beef strip loin steaks. Meat Science, 51 (4), 383-390. Chambaz, A., Scheeder, M.R., Kreuzer M., Dufey, P.A. (2003) Meat quality of Angus, Simmental, Charolais and Limousin steers compared at the same intramuscular fat content. Meat Science, 63 (4), 491-500. De Marchi, M., Berzaghi, P., Boukha, A., Mirisola, M., Galol, L. (2009) Use of near infrared spectroscopy for assessment of beef quality traits . c 6(SUPPL. 1), 421-423. Gallo, L., De Marchi, m., Bittante, G. (2014) A survey on feedlot performance of purebred and crossbred European young bulls and heifers managed under intensive conditions in Veneto, Northeast Italy. Italian Journal of Animal Science, 13 (4), 3285. Grunert, K.G. (2006) Future trends and consumer lifestyles with regard to meat consumption. Meat Science, 74, 149-160. Monsón, F., Sanudo, C. (2005) Influence of breed and ageing time on the sensory meat quality and consumer acceptability in intensively reared beef. Meat Science, 71, 471-479. DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.meatsci.2005.04.026 Resurreccion, A.V.A. (2004) Sensory aspects of consumer choices for meat and meat products. Meat Science, 66 (1), 11-20. DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0309-1740(03)00021-4 Venkata, R.B., Sivakumar AS, Jeong DW, Woo YB, Park SJ, Lee SY, Byun JY, Kim CH, Cho SH, Hwang I. (2015) Beef quality traits of heifer in comparision with steer, bull and cow at various feeding environments. Journal of Animal Science, 86 (1), 1-16. DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.1111/asj.12266

Preliminary study of the effects of an anti-gonadotropin-releasing factor vaccine at two initial liveweights on the carcass traits and meat quality of bulls

The aim of this experiment was to study the effect of the Improvac® anti-gonadotropin-releasing factor vaccine developed for pigs on the carcass quality and shelf life of meat from Serrana de Teruel bulls at two liveweights at the start of immunisation. The anti-gonadotropin-releasing factor vaccine stopped testosterone production regardless of the liveweight. The carcasses of immunised bulls were less heavy and had poorer conformation than those of entire bulls, although the dressing percentages were similar. Immunisation had no influence on the degree of carcass fatness or intramuscular fat content. Immunisation decreased metmyoglobin formation during storage, especially in light bulls. Immunisation reduces the total meat collage, improving tenderness and reducing the ageing time. Minimum toughness was reached 2 weeks earlier than in entire bulls. Quick tenderisation was achieved regardless of the liveweight at immunisation; therefore, the technique studied here could be effective for producing tender meat and avoiding long periods of maturation. In conclusion, immunisation at any of the initial liveweights trialed may be detrimental to animal performance. However, it was effective in delaying metmyoglobin formation and produced more tender meat than that of entire bulls from the first day, thus reducing the ageing time.

Effects of active immunization with newly modified GnRH peptides on spermatogenesis and production performance of Holstein bulls.

Immunocastration via vaccination against gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) is an effective alternative to surgical castration in livestock. In this study, male mice were immunized with eight GnRH peptide derivatives. Two, which exhibited highly significant effects in mice, and one which exhibited the least significant effects were selected for active immunization of 13-month-old bulls. The effects of these GnRH vaccines on sexual development and meat quality in bulls were evaluated by examining testis length, serum hormone and GnRH antibody concentrations, observation of sexual behavior and testicular tissue sections, and evaluation of meat quality indexes. The results indicated that anti-GnRH titers increased rapidly (P<0.05) and serum follicle stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone, and testosterone concentrations decreased sharply after booster immunization (P<0.05), while testis volumes were lower (P<0.01), testicular growth was arrested and spermatogenesis inhibited in group C GnRH-treated versus control bull groups. Meat quality was not significantly different in immunocastrates relative to bulls in the control group. Our collective results provide a scientific basis to further clarify the mechanisms underlying GnRH-mediated regulation of livestock reproduction, and contribute to the development of an efficient, safe, and reversible immune castration vaccine.

Carcass characteristics and meat quality of bulls and steers slaughtered at two different ages

This study was conducted to evaluate animal performance, carcase characteristics and meat quality of young bulls and steers (Charolais × Holstein-Friesian), fattened until 15 and 18 months of age. One half of 40 young bulls were castrated at 2 or 3 weeks of age. Starting at 7 months of age, they received grass silage supplemented with concentrates. At the end of the fattening period, the animals were slaughtered, and carcase quality and the quality of meat from Musculus longissimus thoracis (MLT) were evaluated. Bulls had a higher carcase dressing percentage, and their carcases had higher lean meat content than steers. MLT from steers had higher intramuscular fat (IMF) content (by 0.89%); it was less tough, more tender and palatable. IMF from bulls had higher concentrations of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) and a higher n-6/n-3 PUFA ratio than IMF extracted from steer meat. Older animals had higher carcase quality than those slaughtered at 15 months of age, and slaughtering at a later age had no negative influence on meat quality.

Fattening Performance of Bulls of three Breeds Fattened Semi-Intensively in the Kostanay Region

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of cattle breed on carcass traits and meat quality of bulls fattened semi-intensively and slaughtered at 18 months of age. The animals were divided into three experimental groups: Group AA - 16 Angus bulls, group WK - 19 Kazakh White headed bulls, group AK - 20 Kazakh Aulie-Ata bulls. All bulls were slaughtered at the end of the fattening period. Angus bulls had the highest (p≤0.05) final body weight (494.9 kg) at 18 months of age. Average daily gain was also highest (p≤0.01 and p≤0.05) in group AA (863 g). Angus bulls were characterized by the highest carcass dressing percentage (56.8%) and the highest fat content (3.4%). Carcass length and thigh circumference were significantly (p≤0.05) higher in AA bulls than in AK bulls. The content of lean meat and fat in the carcass was highest (79.4%, p≤0.05) in AA bulls and lowest in AK bulls. Samples of semitendinosus muscle collected from AA bulls had the highest content of dry matter (24.89%), protein (22.5%) and fat (2.27%, p≤0.05).

Comparison of fattening performance and slaughter value of local Hungarian cattle breeds to international breeds

Abstract. The objective of the trial is to compare fattening performance, slaughter results and meat quality of bulls from international cattle breeds with local Hungarian breeds fattened under the same conditions. Altogether 62 growing bulls – Angus, Charolais, Holstein, Hungarian Grey, Hungarian Simmental, Charolais × Hungarian Grey – were fattened in small groups. The daily gain varied from 897 (Hungarian Grey) to 1 240 g/day (Angus). In general, the lower gain value is caused by the semi-intensive fattening system with low concentrate supplementation. The slaughter weight showed a similar tendency as final weight, there was a significant difference between Angus and Hungarian Grey. The killing out of Charolais (59.50 %), Angus (56.80 %) and Hungarian Simmental (57.84 %) was significantly higher than Hungarian Grey (55.13 %) and Holstein (55.03 %). Due to Charolais crossing the dressing percentage of Hungarian Grey was developed by about 1.5 %. The EU conformation scores of Charolais (9.50) and Hungarian Simmental (9.33) and the fatness scores of Angus (8.33) and Charolais × Hungarian Grey (7.33) were significantly higher than that of the other genotypes. The tissue composition of dissected carcass as well as ribs joint composition determined by X-ray computerised tomography method showed the lean meat of Hungarian Simmental and bone proportions of Holstein to be the highest, whilst Angus had the highest fat content. Charolais und Hungarian Simmental had significant higher longissimus muscle area in ribs joint compared to Angus, Holstein and Charolais × Hungarian Grey. Angus and Hungarian Grey had the highest intramuscular fat level of the three examined muscles.

Growth performance, carcass traits and meat quality of bulls and heifers slaughtered at different ages

The effects of sex and slaughter age on growth, feed intake, carcass composition and meat quality attributes of musculus longissimus lumborum were investigated in Charolais &amp;times; Simmental bulls (n = 12) and heifers (n = 12) reared and finished under identical management conditions. The animals entered the experiment at similar age (251 days) and were slaughtered at 14 or 18 months of age. Bulls gained more rapidly (P &amp;nbsp;&amp;lt; 0.001), consumed more dry matter daily (P &amp;lt; 0.05), and had a higher killing-out proportion (P&amp;nbsp;&amp;lt;&amp;nbsp;0.05). The sex &amp;times; slaughter age interaction was significant (P &amp;lt; 0.01) for feed conversion ratio, which deteriorated markedly more in heifers than in bulls as slaughter age increased. Bulls produced leaner carcasses with a higher proportion of total meat (P &amp;lt; 0.001). While bulls contributed to high-priced meat by a higher proportion of meat from the shoulder (P &amp;lt; 0.01), heifers had higher proportions of meat from the rump and loin (P&amp;nbsp;&amp;lt; 0.05). Older animals were generally fatter and their carcasses contained lower proportions of high-priced meat (P&amp;nbsp;&amp;lt; 0.01) and bones (P &amp;lt; 0.05). Bulls exhibited lower contents of dry matter (P &amp;lt;&amp;nbsp;0.001), protein (P &amp;lt; 0.05) and intramuscular fat (P &amp;lt; 0.001), and a higher content of collagen (P &amp;lt; 0.001) in musculus longissimus lumborum than hei-fers. The meat from heifers was assessed by the sensory panel as more tender and, when aged for 11&amp;nbsp;days, more acceptable than the meat from bulls. Older animals obtained higher scores for beef flavour intensity (P &amp;lt; 0.01), tenderness (P &amp;lt; 0.001), juiciness (P &amp;lt; 0.05), and overall acceptance (P &amp;lt; 0.001). &amp;nbsp;

The effects of fasting, electrolyte supplementation and electrical stimulation on carcass yield and meat quality in bulls

Eighty-nine yearling beef bulls were allocated to one of four lairage treatment groups of either 0, 12, 24 or 36 h. Except for the 0-h group, all animals were given a 4-h road transport followed by either 12, 24 or 36 h in lairage pre-slaughter without feed and water. An electrolyte solution was offered during lairage to groups of bulls within the fasting treatments. Following slaughter and dressing, alternate carcass sides were stimulated (470 V, 1.5 A, 60 Hz) for 60 s, and data on muscle quality were collected. Fasting resulted in a progressive reduction in warm and cold carcass weight (as a proportion of final live weight) and reduced liver, rumen and intestine proportions. Electrolyte supplementation was effective in reducing carcass weight losses and appeared to have its greatest effect on bulls kept in lairage for 36 h. Fasting and electrolyte supplementation had few effects on muscle quality. Electrical stimulation reduced muscle shear value, lowered final muscle pH, brightened muscle colour at 24 h post mortem but had no effect on marbling score. It was concluded that electrolyte supplementation increased carcass yield in fasted bulls but had little beneficial effect on meat quality. On the other hand, electrical stimulation improved several quality parameters, including muscle shear value. Key words: Bulls, cattle, fasting, lairage, electrical stimulation, meat quality