Subprimal Cuts Research Articles

The effect of live body condition score of beef cows on carcass characteristics, carcass-cutting yields, processor profitability, and tenderness in the longissimus lumborum and psoas major muscles.

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of body condition score (BCS) of cull cows on carcass characteristics, carcass-cutting yields, profitability, and tenderness development for the longissimus lumborum and psoas major muscles. During a 5-wk period (May-June 2023), 10 boner cull cows (BCS 4 to 6) and 10 leaner cull cows (BCS 1 to 3) were purchased at a commercial auction market. Live conformation, carcass characteristics, weights of fabricated cuts, tenderness, pH decline, and temperature decline were recorded following slaughter. Carcasses were fabricated into the following cuts: knuckle, inside round, outside round, eye of round, strip loin, top sirloin, bottom sirloin flap, tenderloin, flank, ribeye roll, chuck tender, and brisket, whereas lean was separated into lean and fat components. Beef processor returns for boner cows were calculated as the sum of USDA Carlot Report values for the subprimal cuts, trim, bone, and drop value subtracted by actual live costs at the auction market whereas beef processor returns for leaner cows were calculated as the sum of USDA Carlot Report values for the trim, bone, and drop value subtracted by actual live costs at the auction market. Carcass and merchandizing value parameters were analyzed using a completely randomized design with a fixed effect of classification (leaner or boner) and a random effect of slaughter day. Live weight was used as a covariant for all carcass and merchandizing value parameters due to the pronounced effect of live weight for most parameters. Temperature decline, pH decline, shear force, and cooking loss parameters were analyzed using a completely randomized design with a fixed effect of classification (leaner or boner) and a random effect of slaughter day. Boner cows were found to be heavier for both live and carcass weights when compared with leaner cows. In addition, backfat thickness was 0.39cm greater (P = 0.03), and ribeye area was 9.17cm2 (P = 0.05) greater for boner cows compared with leaner cows. This resulted in boner cows yielding larger subprimal cuts and a greater amount of lean trim, which in turn generated more beef processor revenue. However, specific consideration should be provided for profitability as the ability to market subprimal cuts is highly dependent on muscle size, fat deposition, meat quality, and market prices for both boner and leaner cows.

Does the Medium Matter? A Comparison of Augmented Reality Media in Instructing Novices to Perform Complex, Skill-Based Manual Tasks.

Past research comparing augmented reality (AR) media such as in-situ projection and head-mounted devices (HMD) has usually considered simple manual activities. It is unknown whether previously reported differences between different AR media also apply to complex, skill-driven tasks. In this paper, we explore the feasibility and challenges in designing AR instructions for expertise-driven, skilled activities. We present findings from a real-world, between-subjects experiment in which novices were instructed to trim and bone sub-primal cuts of pork using two interactive AR prototypes, one utilizing in-situ projection and a second using the Hololens 2. The prototypes and instructions were designed in consultation with experts. We compared novices' task performance and subjective perceptions and gathered experts' feedback. Although both users and experts indicated a subjective preference for in-situ projection, results indicate that when tasks require knowledge, skill and expertise, the choice of the AR medium itself may not be consequential. Rather, in our experiment, the instruction quality influenced comprehension, knowledge retention and task performance. Hence, from an engineering perspective, emphasis ought to be laid on gathering and structuring expert performance and knowledge to create effective instructions, which could be delivered using any AR medium suited to the task and work environment.

Effects of supplemental methionine sources in finishing pig diets on growth performance, carcass characteristics, cutting yields, and meat quality.

Supplemental methionine (Met) is widely used within the swine industry; however, data are limited regarding the effect of Met sources on carcass cutability and meat quality. The objective was to determine the effects of L-Met (LM, 99%), DL-Met (DLM, 99%), or calcium salt of DL-Met hydroxyl analog (MHA, 84%) in finishing pig diets on carcass characteristics and meat quality. At 9 weeks of age, pigs (N = 240) were allocated to 60 single-sex pens for a four-phase finishing trial that lasted 104 d. Pigs were fed a common grower diet until day 56 where pens were randomly allotted to one of the three experimental diets. For the remaining 7wk of the finisher phase, pigs (BW = 79.9 ± 0.80kg) were fed diets containing LM, DLM, or MHA, with the supplemental Met source providing 25% of standardized ileal digestible (SID) Met + cysteine (Cys) requirement based on 65% bioefficacy for MHA in comparison with LM or DLM. One pig per pen was slaughtered at the study conclusion (on day 104), and the left sides of carcasses were fabricated into subprimal cuts to determine carcass-cutting yields. Loin quality including proximate composition and shear force were measured. Hot carcass weight was not different (P = 0.34) between treatments (LM 104.5kg; DLM 103.0kg; MHA 101.5kg), moreover, loin eye area was not different (P = 0.98) between treatments (LM 52.65 cm²; DLM 52.49 cm²; MHA 52.81 cm²). Boneless carcass-cutting yield was not different (P = 0.56) between treatments (LM 54.97kg; DLM 54.82kg; MHA 54.52kg). Loin pH was not different (P = 0.24) between treatments (LM 5.45; DLM 5.48; MHA 5.45). However, drip loss tended to be reduced (P = 0.11) by the DLM treatment (5.58%) compared with LM (7.03%) and MHA (6.68%) treatments. Shear force was not different (P = 0.85) between treatments (LM 3.03kg; DLM 3.06kg; MHA 3.10kg). However, cook loss tended to be reduced (P = 0.06) by the DLM treatment (16.20%) compared with LM (18.18%) and MHA (18.50%) treatments. These data suggest that only minimal differences in carcass cutability and meat quality can be attributed to Met source in finishing pig diets when using 65% bioefficacy for MHA relative to L-Met or DL-Met.

PSVII-17 Differential Freeze/Thaw Rates Affect Water-Holding Capacity and Lipid Oxidation in Beef Rib Primal Cuts

Abstract Fresh meat is vulnerable to microbial contamination and loss of quality. Hence, freezing is used to mitigate these issues during transport and storage. However, freezing may negatively impact the same quality characteristics it was meant to preserve, resulting in products that are dissatisfying to the consumer. During the freezing process of meat, water forms ice crystals of various shapes and sizes. The degree of ice crystal growth, mainly due to the freezing rate, has been shown to affect several meat quality characteristics, including tenderness, juiciness, and color. Previous research has primarily evaluated the effect of freezing/thawing on the quality of beef retail cuts. To the best of our knowledge, however, minimal research has been devoted to examining the impact of freezing/thawing on the quality of beef primal and sub-primal cuts. Therefore, this study aimed to gain deeper insight into the histological, ultrastructural, and physiochemical changes occurring in whole beef ribs in response to different freezing/thawing treatments. To achieve our objective, we purchased 32 choice beef rib primals from a local harvest facility 24 h postmortem. Ribs were vacuum packaged and randomly divided into four groups (8 ribs/group). The first group was frozen in a −20 °C freezer (slow freezing), stored in the same freezer for 12 weeks, and thawed at 4 °C for 24 h (slow thawing). The second group was frozen in an ultralow temperature freezer (−80 °C; fast freezing), stored in the same freezer for 12 weeks, and thawed at 4 °C for 48 h. The third and fourth groups were frozen and stored in the same manner as groups one and two, respectively, but were thawed in a water bath (10 °C) for 8 h (fast thawing). Two 2.5-cm-steaks from the middle and each end were collected to represent the entire rib. One steak from each of the three areas was used for color, cook loss, and tenderness evaluation, while the other three supplied tissue for drip loss and lipid oxidation analysis. Data were analyzed using the mixed model of SAS with P ≤ 0.05 considered significant. No differences were observed in color or tenderness between the treatments (P > 0.05). However, slow thawing increased drip loss, regardless of the freezing rate (P < 0.05). Greater cook loss was observed in the fast frozen-slow thawed samples compared with fast frozen-fast thawed samples (P < 0.05). The slow frozen-fast thawed steaks had greater lipid oxidation than the slow frozen-slow thawed treatment (P < 0.05). In general, our data show that subjecting whole beef rib sections to fast freezing may reduce water loss at the expense of increased lipid oxidation. This demonstrates that additional research is needed to further optimize beef primal cut storage.

Carcass characteristics and nutritional profile of wild Caiman crocodilus (Spectacled Caiman) meat

Developing standardized primal, sub-primal and commercial cuts, yield standards, and nutritional value for the Caiman crocodilus are vital in the process of developing a market for the animals’ consumption. This study aims to describe the carcass characteristics and the nutritional profile of wild caught C. crocodilus found in Trinidad and Tobago. Five adult C. crocodilus specimens were captured with an average weight and length of 28.04 ± 11.06 kg, 139.40 ± 16.32 cm respectively. Through carcass fabrication, a dressing percentage of 55.38 ± 1.8% was found and five primal cuts consisting of a neck, torso/rib cage, front leg with shoulder blade, back leg, and tail were determined for this species. Further fabrication of the carcass resulted in four sub-primal cuts, a top fillet, bottom fillet, loin, and breast cut. The fabricated tail of C. crocodilus constituted 28.32 ± 4.50% of the carcass weight with the highest meat to bone ratio by cut of 6.43. The results of the proximate analysis to determine the moisture, protein, lipid, and ash content of a homogenized sample of neck and tail meat presented values of 75.31 ± 3.03, 21.36 ± 4.07, 6.00 ± 5.40, and 0.25 ± 0.03 respectively on a dry matter basis. Based on these carcass characteristics and nutritional profile, this study can be used to justify further exploration into the use ofC. crocodilusas an alternative meat source.

PSV-9 Effects of Supplemental Methionine Sources in Finishing Pig Diets on Carcass Characteristics, Cutting Yields, and Meat Quality

Abstract While supplemental methionine (Met) is widely used within the swine industry, data are limited regarding the effect of Met sources on carcass cutability and meat quality. The objective was to determine the effects of DL-methionine (DLM, 99%), L-methionine (LM, 99%), or calcium salt of DL-methionine hydroxyanalogue (MHA-Ca, 84%) in finishing pig diets on carcass characteristics and meat quality. Pigs (n = 240) were allocated to 60 single-sex pens. For the final 7 wk of the finisher phase, pigs (BW= 79.9 ± 0.80 kg) were fed diets containing DLM, LM, or MHA-Ca, with the supplemental methionine source providing 25% of the sulfur amino acid requirement. One pig per pen was slaughtered, and left sides of carcasses were fabricated into subprimal cuts to determine carcass-cutting yields. Loin quality including proximate composition and shear force was measured. Data were analyzed using the MIXED procedure of SAS. Hot carcass weight was not different (P= 0.34) between treatments (DLM 103.0 kg; LM 104.5 kg; MHA-Ca 101.5kg), moreover loin eye area was not different (P= 0.98) between treatments (DLM 52.49 cm²; LM 52.65 cm²; MHA-Ca 52.81 cm²). Boneless carcass cutting yield was not different (P = 0.56) between treatments (DLM 54.82 kg; LM 54.97 kg; MHA-Ca 54.52 kg). Loin pH was not different (P = 0.24) between treatments (DLM 5.48; LM 5.45; MHA-Ca 5.45). However, drip loss tended to be reduced (P = 0.11) by the DLM treatment (5.58%) compared with LM (7.03%) and MHA-Ca (6.68%) treatments. Shear force was not different (P = 0.85) between treatments (DLM 3.06 kg; LM 3.03 kg; MHA-Ca 3.10 kg). However, cook loss tended to be reduced (P = 0.06) by the DLM treatment (16.20%) compared with LM (18.18%) and MHA-Ca (18.50%) treatments. These data suggest that only minimal differences in carcass cutability and meat quality can be attributed to methionine sources in finishing pig diets.

Effects of feeding high oleic soybean oil to growing-finishing pigs on growth performance and carcass characteristics.

Feeding growing-finishing pigs supplemental fat is a common practice in the swine industry and can result in improved feed efficiency and reduced feed intake; however, dietary lipids also play a key role in determining pork composition. The objectives of the current study were to evaluate the effects of feeding graded levels of high oleic soybean oil (HOSO) on growth performance and carcass characteristics. A total of 288 pigs raised in two separate blocks (144 pigs each) were assigned to one of four diets containing either 25% dried distiller's grains with solubles (DDGS), 2% high oleic soybean oil (HOSO2), 4% high oleic soybean oil (HOSO4), or 6% high oleic soybean oil (HOSO6). Pigs were housed 4 per pen and fed for 98 d using a 3-phase feeding system. Pigs were individually weighed and feed intake was recorded throughout the trial to calculate average daily feed intake (ADFI) and gain to feed ratio (G:F). A total of 144 pigs were transported to the University of Illinois Meat Science Laboratory and fabricated into primal and subprimal cuts to calculate carcass cutting yields. Differences in growth performance were observed, with pigs fed the DDGS treatment exhibiting greater (P ≤ 0.01) overall ADFI consuming 0.21, 0.18, and 0.28kg/d more than HOSO2, HOSO4, and HOSO6 diets, respectively. Pigs fed the HOSO6 diet had greater (P ≤ 0.03) overall G:F than pigs fed DDGS and HOSO2 diets but did not differ (P = 0.12) from pigs fed HOSO4. Furthermore, differences in carcass traits were observed. Hot carcass weight was increased (P ≤ 0.03) in pigs fed the HOSO6 diet compared with pigs fed the DDGS and HOSO2 diets, while pigs fed HOSO4 did not differ (P > 0.05) from either extreme. Additionally, pigs fed HOSO4 and HOSO6 produced fatter (P ≤ 0.01) carcasses with reduced (P ≤ 0.01) standardized fat-free lean. Minimal differences were observed in primal weights expressed as a percentage of chilled side including bone-in Boston butt, trimmed loin, and trimmed ham with primal weights decreasing with increasing inclusion of dietary HOSO. Overall, pigs fed HOSO2 had reduced ADFI with similar backfat thickness and standardized fat-free lean compared with pigs fed the DDGS treatment. However, pigs fed HOSO 4% and 6% not only had improvements in ADFI and G:F but also had increased backfat thickness, which resulted in reductions in standardized fat-free lean and primal weights expressed as a percentage of chilled side weight.

What do U.S. consumers care about regarding beef and its supply chain?

Stated levels of concerns regarding different aspects of beef and its supply chain in the U.S. were studied for a representative sample of 1275 U.S. residents. In addition to top concerns, frequency of general beef consumption and different beef subprimal cuts were collected. Sixty-two percent of respondents indicated eating beef at least twice per week; ground beef was the most frequently purchased beef item. We find that price and food safety prevailed as the most prominent considerations for U.S. residents regarding beef and it's supply chain, though employee welfare, supply chain issues and beef availability have gained prominence in light of the severe disruptions to the industry induced by COVID-19. Concerns regarding cattle emissions, cattle welfare, beef availability and food safety were more prevalent amongst younger consumers. Marketing campaigns highlighting the industry's efforts on improving such matters may be particularly meaningful to younger age groups.

Beef production from cull dairy cows: a review from culling to consumption.

Although more than 3 million head of dairy cows enter the food supply chain in the U.S. every year, research on this topic remains limited and scarce. Meat production from dairy cows is a significant component of beef production, accounting for almost 10% of U.S. commercial beef production. Thus, the purpose of this review is to demonstrate the importance of dairy cows as a beef source, and to provide an overview on topics from farm to meat product-culling, marketing, transportation, welfare, body composition and its relationship with lactation particularities, carcass characteristics, meat quality, and traceability. Current scientific evidence has shown that culling a dairy cow at an appropriate time has beneficial effects on cow welfare and, consequently, cow value. During marketing the dairy cow is visually evaluated for health and factors associated with its expected carcass value; thus, marketing a well-conditioned cow will ensure that the animal is fit for transportation and provides high carcass yield. However, limitations such as low body condition score, lameness or mobility problems, and visual defects remain persistent. Even though beef harvest plants accommodate cows in all body composition states, the current carcass grade system does not reflect the mature cow industry needs. Therefore, improvement of the grading system could maximize carcass utilization and increase cow carcass value by recognizing subprimal cuts that could be merchandised as whole muscle cuts. Lastly, implementation of a traceability system would unify information from the farm to harvest assisting the industry in making further advancements.

Effects of Peroxyacetic Acid Spray and Storage Temperature on the Microbiota and Sensory Properties of Vacuum-Packed Subprimal Cuts of Meat.

We investigated the impact of peroxyacetic acid (PAA; 200 ppm) spray on the microbiota and shelf life of commercial, vacuum-packed beef stored at chiller temperatures. Ribeye cuts (n = 147) were collected from a local beef plant on the day of production for two consecutive days, with one set collected at the start of work with the PAA spray nozzles turned off (control) and during routine production with the PAA spray nozzles turned on (PAA) each day. Packs were stored at 4, 2, and -1°C for up to 34, 104, and 180 days and sampled at appropriate intervals for sensory assessment, microbial enumeration, and microbial profiling by 16S rRNA gene amplicon analysis. Treatment with PAA did not affect the initial meat pH, the initial numbers of total aerobes, lactic acid bacteria, or Enterobacteriaceae (P > 0.05) before storage; however, it delayed the onset of spoilage by 7, 21, and 54 days at 4, 2, and -1°C, respectively. Square-root models of the variation of growth rate with temperature indicated lactic acid bacteria grew faster and Enterobacteriaceae grew slower on PAA-treated than on untreated meat. Negative associations between pH and deterioration of meat during storage were observed for PAA-treated meat. During storage, the microbiota were primarily dominated by Carnobacterium and Lactobacillus/Lactococcus on control meat but by Leuconostoc on PAA-treated meat. Serratia, Yersinia, and Clostridium were identified by linear discriminant effect size analysis as biomarkers for control meat; Clostridium was found in high abundance in samples that had the highest spoilage scores.IMPORTANCE The findings of this study show that PAA solutions applied at low concentrations under commercial settings positively modulated the meat microbiota. It did not have bactericidal effects for beef subprimals with very low microbial loads. However, it differentially impacted the members of the microbiota, which resulted in delayed onset of spoilage of vacuum-packed beef subprimal stored at all three temperatures (4, 2, and -1°C). This differential impact could be through one or a combination of the following factors: favoring the growth of lactic acid bacteria, which may in turn exert a competitive exclusion that might be due to production of antimicrobial compounds such as organic acids and bacteriocins; exerting synergistic antimicrobial effects with low temperatures against members of Enterobacteriaceae; and direct or indirect inhibitory effects against members of the clostridia. These findings not only advance our understanding of the microbial ecology of vacuum-packed meat stored at chiller temperatures but also suggest that bacteriostatic concentrations of antimicrobial interventions can be explored for shelf-life extension.

Influence of Body Condition Score on Carcass Characteristics of Cull Bali Cows

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of body condition score (BCS) on dressing percentage and carcass characteristics of cull Bali cows. Three groups of Bali cows (n=4) with body condition of 2, 3 and 4 were used in this experiment. They were assigned as BCS2, BCS3 and BCS4, respectively. The animals were slaughtered at the faculty slaughter house. Weight of non-carcass parts (skin, blood, fluck, offal, hide and head) were recorded. Hot carcass was weighed and fabricated into lean, fat and bone of each sub-primal cuts. Results showed that the percentage of non-carcass part did not differ (P>0.05) among cows with different BCS. Dressing percentage of cull Bali cows was improved (P<0.05) from 48% in BCS2 to 58% in BCS3 and BCS4. Front legs and rib were highest in BCS4, meanwhile hind legs did not differ among cows with different BCS. Total lean meat cut was significantly increased (P<0.05) from 36.84% in BCS2 to 40.63 and 41.12% in BCS3 and BCS4 respectively. Meat from hind quarter and rib were highest in BCS3 but tender loin was highest in BCS4. Carcass fat percentage, however, was also significantly increased (P<0.05) in BCS4, while bone was comparable among cows with different BCS. It can be concluded that although carcass and precious primal cuts are higher in cows with BCS 4 but the excessive degree of carcass fatness made slaughtering cull Bali cows is optimal at body condition score less than 4.

Effects of immunocastration and a β-adrenergic agonist on retail cuts of feedlot finished Nellore cattle

Immunocastration (ImC) has been proposed as an animal welfare-friendly alternative to reduce sexual and aggressive behavior and to increase carcass fat deposition with positive effects on meat quality. The β-adrenergic agonists (β-AA) are known as repartitioning agents that acts increasing lean tissue deposition. The combined use of these technologies can positively affect meat quality and increase retail cuts yield. Thus, this research was conducted to evaluate the combined effects of ImC and β-AA (zilpaterol hydrochloride (ZH) and ractopamine hydrochloride (RH)) on retail cuts, bones, and fat trim of feedlot finished Bos indicus (Nellore) cattle. No interaction was observed between sexual condition and diet for any trait. The ImC decreased cold carcass, hindquarter (HQ), forequarter (FQ) and combined brisket, short ribs and flank (BSF) weights. The ImC also showed smaller weights of retail cuts and bones on the HQ and on the FQ than non-castrated (NoC). Fat trim weights did not differ from ImC and NoC. The most of subprimal cuts were heavier in NoC than in ImC. Feeding β-AA did not affect cold carcass weight; however, animals fed ZH had higher weights of HQ and retail cuts in HQ when compared with RH and control (CO) group, with no differences between RH and CO for both traits. The weights of FQ, BSF, retail cuts in FQ, as well as bones and fat trimmings were not affected by β-AA. In summary, ImC decreases carcass and retail cut weights, whereas ZH supplementation leads to an improvement in carcass lean tissue and retail cuts.

Effects of Total Mixed Ration pH on Carcass Characteristics, Subprimal Yields and Fatty Acid Composition when Fed to Brahman or Holstein Cross Steers

ObjectivesThe objective of this study was to determine the effects of total mixed ration (TMR) pH on carcass characteristics and fatty acid profiles when fed to Brahman cross (BC) or Holstein cross (HC) steers.Materials and MethodsEighteen steers (6 Brahman × Thai native and 12 Holstein × Zebu) were blocked by breed and stratified by weight before being randomly assigned 1 of 3 treatment diets, fed individually ad libitum including: fresh grass mixed-TMR (GTMR; pH 4.70 to 4.99), grass silage mixed-TMR (STMR; pH 4.00 to 4.40), and fermented-TMR (FTMR; pH 3.5 to 3.87). After 460 d all steers were slaughtered after a 24 h fast. During slaughter offal items were weighed to determine if breed or diet impacted visceral weight. After 7-d postmortem (1 ± 1°C) carcasses were separated at the 12th to 13th rib for collection of ribeye area (REA), fat thickness, marbling score, and objective color. After carcass data collection, carcasses were fabricated according to French standards and subprimal yields were calculated as a percentage of chilled carcass weight. The longissimus thoracis (LT) was removed and steaks (2.54-cm) were cut for Warner-Bratzler shear force (WBSF), proximate analysis, and fatty acid analysis. Data were analyzed using the MIXED procedure of SAS (V9.4; SAS Inst. Inc., Cary, NC). Steer was considered the experimental unit and steer within block by treatment was considered the random term. Mean differences were considered significant at ɑ ≤ 0.05.ResultsThere was not a breed by diet interaction (P > 0.09) for hot carcass weight (HCW), dressing percent (DP), REA, fat thickness, chill loss, marbling score, objective color, or cook loss and WBSF. However, BC had greater HCW, DP, REA, and WBSF than HC (P < 0.05). Marbling scores were greater (P < 0.05) for steers fed STMR and FTMR than GTMR, otherwise diet did not impact carcass traits (P > 0.05). Non-carcass components were a greater percentage of live weight for HC than BC. There was a breed by diet interaction (P < 0.05) for subprimal cuts of the macreuse (clod), knuckle, and bottom round (P < 0.05). Brahman cross steers had a greater percentage of weight in the chuck, sirloin, strip loin, and bottom round (P < 0.05); however, HC had a greater percentage of weight in the macreuse, knuckle, nerveux (heel), and bone (P < 0.05). There was no breed by diet interaction or main effects for chemical composition except percent fat where FTMR > STMR > GTMR (P < 0.01). For fatty acids there was no difference in total SFA or n6:n3 (P > 0.10), however, there were breed by diet interactions (P < 0.01) for total PUFA, n-6, n-3 and PUFA:SFA where LT from BC fed GTMR had greater percentages than all other treatment combinations.ConclusionRations consisting of STMR and FTMR may be utilized to increase marbling and maximize tenderness for finishing Holstein cross steers, while feeding GTMR to Brahman cross steers could be an appropriate method for producing lean beef with a greater percentage of polyunsaturated fatty acids.

Surface attachment of active antimicrobial coatings onto conventional plastic-based laminates and performance assessment of these materials on the storage life of vacuum packaged beef sub-primals

Two antimicrobial coatings, namely Sodium octanoate and Auranta FV (a commercial antimicrobial composed of bioflavonoids, citric, malic, lactic, and caprylic acids) were used. These two antimicrobials were surface coated onto the inner polyethylene layer of cold plasma treated polyamide films using beef gelatin as a carrier and coating polymer. This packaging material was then used to vacuum pack beef sub-primal cuts and stored at 4 °C. A control was prepared using the non-coated commercial laminate and the same vacuum packaged sub-primal beef cuts. During storage, microbial and quality assessments were carried out. Sodium octanoate treated packages significantly (p < 0.05) reduced microbial counts for all bacteria tested with an increase of 7 and 14 days, respectively compared to control samples. No significant effect on pH was observed with any treatment. The results suggested that these food grade antimicrobials have the potential to be used in antimicrobial active packaging applications for beef products.

Meat quality and cut yield of pigs slaughtered over 100kg live weight

Meat quality and cut yield of pigs slaughtered between 100 and 150kg live weight were evaluated. Pigs (417 Agroceres PIC barrows and gilts) were fed a daily allowance of 2.8kg per head from 80kg until 100.71±0.85, 118.58±0.99, 134.07±1.18 or 143.90±1.24kg live weight. Seventy-one pigs were used for the evaluation of primal and subprimal cuts. There was no interaction between sex and slaughter weight for any of the evaluated parameters. Ham, shoulder, and loin weights linearly increased (P&lt;0.01; R2: 84.3-93.2%) with increasing slaughter weight, which, however, had little effect on primal cuts meat yield. Increasing slaughter weight promoted a linear (P&lt;0.05) and a quadratic (P&lt;0.01) increase of red/green coordinate (a* value) of the loin and ham, respectively. Shear force showed a quadratic response (P&lt;0.05), with minimum value estimated at 122kg slaughter weight. It was concluded that, under the applied management, increasing slaughter weight increased the volume of meat, but had little effect on meat yield. The meat of pigs slaughtered at heavier weights showed more intense red color and the same intramuscular fat content as lighter pigs, while tenderness was slightly affected.

Evaluation of three vacuum packaging methods for retail beef loin cuts

Meat from beef T-bone cuts was packaged as follows: (1) Sub-primal cuts vacuum packaged (VP) in shrink bags, aged for 14 days, portioned, VP again and aged for a further 7 days (VPR), (2) individual T-bone steaks VP in shrink bags aged for 21 days (VPP), and (3) individual T-bone steaks aged in vacuum-skin packaging (VSP) for 21 days. VSP recorded less purge and showed higher oxymyoglobin values after 2 days and higher chroma after 3 days of aerobic display (P < 0.001) than VPR and VPP. Similar differences in colour stability were recorded for VPP compared to VPR.

MEAT SCIENCE AND MUSCLE BIOLOGY SYMPOSIUM—Implant and beta agonist impacts on beef palatability1

The use of anabolic implants has a long-standing place in the cattle feeding industry, due to their positive impact on growth performance and subsequent profitability. However, implants can have adverse effects on carcass quality, shear force, and eating quality depending on the dose and frequency, or what some refer to as the aggressiveness of the implant regimen administered. Within the past decade, a new class of growth promotants, known as β-adrenergic agonists (βAA), has emerged in the beef feeding industry in the United States. Currently, 2 have gained U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval for use in beef finishing diets to improve performance and carcass yields. Much like anabolic implants, these repartitioning agents can have negative effects on Warner-Bratzler shear force (WBSF), but the differences do not necessarily translate directly to consumer responses for palatability and acceptance in some instances, especially when tenderness is managed through proper postmortem aging. As researchers continued to investigate the mechanisms responsible for the impact of βAA, inevitably this led to consideration of the interaction between βAA and anabolic implants. Early work combining zilpaterol hydrochloride (ZH) with anabolic implants improved performance, carcass yield, and meat yield with additive negative effects on WBSF. Similar results were produced when pairing ZH with anabolic steroids equipped with various release patterns. As with any tool, the key to success is proper management. Certain cattle populations may be better suited to receive growth promotants such as implants and βAA, and postmortem management of subprimal cuts becomes vital when producers take more aggressive approaches to improve performance and yield. The objective of this review is to overview research findings related to the impact of growth promotant technologies on beef palatability, focusing specifically on the role of implants and βAA on carcass quality, beef tenderness, and consumer responses for meat palatability.

Evaluation of sources of variation for the weight of 5 pork primal and subprimal cut weights

The objective of this trial was to evaluate sources and magnitude of variation for pork cut weights. The weights of 5 primal and subprimal cuts were evaluated from 1,688 barrows and gilts of 3 sire and 2 dam lines at target market BW of 113, 127, or 141 kg. The cut-weight data were fitted to an allometric function of carcass weight (cut weight, kg = A · CWB), where A is a scalar parameter, B is the allometric coefficient, and CW = carcass weight. The equation was linearized as log10(cut weight, kg) = log10A + Blog10(CW) and included the fixed effects of sire line, dam line, and sex and their interactions with log10CW. The predicted values of the cut weights were included in a model including the random effects of replicate, room within replicate, and pig and fixed effect of side. Left-side weights were greater (P < 0.01) than right-side weights for bone-in loin, rough-cut belly, and trimmed belly weight. The allometric functions of CW accounted for 47 (rough-cut belly) to 68% (bone-in loin) of the total variance in the cut weights. The random effect of pig accounted for 7.9, 2.4, 22.3, 11.6, and 14.9% of the variance for bone-in ham, bone-in loin, boneless loin, rough-cut belly, and trimmed belly weight, respectively. The within-pig side-to-side variation accounted for 23.9, 27.1, 26.7, 15.2, and 17.2% of the total variance in the cut weights. Approximately 30 to 49% of the total variation in cut weights remained when pigs of the same population and CW were processed.

Development of a procedure to reproduce the variances and relationships among carcass measurements and the weight of primal and subprimal lean cuts

<h2>ABSTRACT</h2> Barrows (n = 2,178) and gilts (n = 2,274) were fed either high-energy or low-energy diets from 27 kg of BW to target BW of 118, 127, 131.5, and 140.6 kg over 12 monthly replicates. Carcass primal cut and subprimal cut weights as well as optical probe backfat and loin depth measurements were collected on each pig. The cut weights and carcass measurements for each pig were fitted to allometric functions (Y = A · CW^B) of carcass weight (CW), where A is a scalar parameter and B is the allometric coefficient. The final models were weight or measurement=random effect of replicate + (1 + b_DD) · (A · CW^B) + error, where b_D is the regression coefficient, D (diet) = −0.5 for the low-energy and 0.5 for high-energy diets, and A and B are sire line–sex specific parameters. Linear regressions of backfat and loin depth residuals from the model were included at P < 0.05 to the cut weight equations but had little effect to reduce the residual variance. The residuals among the primal and subprimal cuts were correlated, and a Cholesky decomposition procedure was used on the variance–covariance matrix of the residuals. By using these procedures, a stochastic model can be used to evaluate the effect of alternative management, marketing, and carcass sorting strategies on the mean and distribution of pork primal and subprimal cut weights to increase pork processor profitability.

The effects of freezing and thawing rates on tenderness, sensory quality, and retail display of beef subprimals1,2

The objective of this study was to evaluate processing methods for frozen beef subprimals; the effects of freezing and thawing rates on tenderness, sensory properties, and retail display were evaluated. There were 6 treatments: fresh, never frozen 14 d wet aged (14D); fresh, never frozen 21 d wet aged (21D); blast frozen-fast thawed (BF); blast frozen-slow thawed (BS); conventionally frozen-fast thawed (CF); and conventionally frozen-slow thawed (CS). All frozen beef subprimals were aged for 14 d before freezing. Three beef subprimal cuts, rib eye roll (n=90), strip loin (n=90), and top sirloin butt (n=90), were used with 3 replications of 5 samples per treatment per week (total of 9 wk, n=270). Blast freezing occurred by placing spacers between the boxes of meat on pallets at -28°C with high air velocity for 3 to 5 d. Conventional freezing occurred with boxes of meat stacked on pallets and placed in a -28°C freezer with minimal air movement for at least 10 d. Fast thawing of subprimals (to an internal temperature of -1°C to 1°C) occurred by immersion in a circulating water bath (<12°C) for 21 h, and slow thawing of subprimals occurred over a 2-wk period by placing individual subprimals on tables at 0°C. Steaks (2.5 cm thick) were cut from the longissimus thoracis (LT), longissimus lumborum (LL), and gluteus medius (GM) for Warner-Bratzler shear force (WBS), trained sensory evaluation, and retail display. For LL and GM beef steaks, frozen treatments were equal or lower in WBS values to 14D and 21D beef steaks. No differences were detected in WBS among the treatments applied to GM beef steaks (P=0.08). There were no differences in sensory tenderness among the LL, LT, and GM (P>0.05). All LL and LT beef steaks had approximately 4 d to 40% discoloration, and all GM steaks had over 3 d to 40% discoloration. Steaks from the LL and LT began to discolor at about 3 d, and the GM began to discolor after 1 d. For all beef subprimals, purge loss during storage and thawing was significantly greater for the slow-thawed subprimals (P<0.01), and all fast-thawed subprimals were equal or superior to 14D and 21D (P<0.01) in storage and thawing purge. During retail display, the greatest purge loss occurred in fast-thawed treatments (P<0.01). Overall, freezing rate did not affect purge loss, and neither freezing nor thawing rates had significant meaningful effects on WBS, and sensory properties were comparable with fresh, never-frozen subprimals.