European conformation and fat scores of bovine carcasses are not good indicators of marbling

The Meat Standards Australia carcass grading site affects assessment of marbling and prediction of meat-eating quality in growing European beef cattle

The lack of consumer feedback on beef eating quality contributes to reduced beef consumption in Europe. The Meat Standards Australia (MSA) grading scheme can assess the palatability of beef carcasses usually graded at the 10th thoracic vertebrae. However, the European beef industry relies on late-maturing breeds usually cut at the 5th vertebrae due to commercial reasons. Data from 55 young bulls and heifers of late-maturing breeds were collected in an Italian slaughterhouse following the MSA guidelines at both carcass grading sites and sides. Intramuscular fat levels were assessed through two scores and used with other variables to feed the MSA model, which predicts the MSA index, the meat-eating quality scores (MQ4) for 5 muscles and for each carcass grading site × side combination. The scores were analyzed using a mixed linear model. A correlation analysis was conducted to predict the variables measured at the 10th site using their correspondent at the 5th carcass grading site. A stepwise regression was conducted to understand the weight of each measured variable on marbling and MQ4 scores measured both at 5th and 10th carcass grading sites. Results showed significantly higher value for the studied traits at the 5th carcass grading site, while carcass side had no significant impact. The equations had high predictive capability and MSA marbling score played a key role in explaining the variability across carcass grading sites. The differences in marbling and MQ4 scores between the carcass grading sites suggest considering this factor if the MSA grading system will be applied to Europe.

French consumer evaluation of eating quality of Angus x Salers beef: Effects of muscle cut, muscle slicing and ageing

Based on the Meat Standards Australia (MSA) methodology, the objectives of this study were to evaluate the eating quality of grass-fed Angus x Salers beef by French consumers, across different muscle cuts (m. triceps brachii caput longum, m. longissimus dorsi et thoracis and m. rectus abdominis), ageing times (5 and 14 days) and muscle slicing and grilling methods (being distinguished by 2 different sides on the grill), and to further quantify whether the MSA model could predict the eating quality of the meat produced by these lean crossbred animals. The results showed that French consumers can discern significant differences in eating quality traits across muscle cuts but not between ageing times and muscle slicing methods. In this study, the accuracy of eating quality score (MQ4)-assigned MSA grade was 64.5%. Due to the lack of MSA data on these lean crossbred animals, the prediction of eating quality from carcass characteristics was less accurate than usual. However, these results do indicate that the MSA sensory testing protocol, the MQ4 calculation and the MSA quality grades could be used to support a consumer-based quality grading system in France.

Carcass Characteristics and Beef Quality of Young Grass-Fed Angus x Salers Bovines

To characterize carcass and meat attributes, such as beef eating quality in specific farming conditions, 31 young grass-fed crossbred Angus x Salers cattle in two farming systems (a mono-cattle system versus a mixed system with beef cattle and sheep) were used in this study. Three muscle cuts (striploin—m. longissimus dorsi et thoracis; bolar blade—m. triceps brachii caput longum; internal flank plate—m. obliquus internus abdominis) were used for consumer eating quality testing and striploin was used for panelist eating quality assessment, and objective measurements [Warner–Bratzler shear force (WBSF) and fatty acid (FA) and antioxidant contents]. Results indicated that the farming system had no impact on carcass characteristics or meat quality, but it tended to affect FA content, which is likely explained by between-system differences in animal maturity (assessed by ossification score). Animal gender had significant effects on three eating quality traits evaluated by untrained consumers, with higher flavor liking, overall liking, and overall meat eating quality (MQ4) scores in females than in males. Additionally, FA contents were correlated with sensory quality traits to varying extents: consumer-scored tenderness, flavor, and overall liking were mainly positively correlated with ω-3 and ω-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) contents, and panelist-evaluated tenderness and abnormal flavor were more positively correlated with total lipids, saturated fatty acid (SFA), and monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA) contents. Overall, this study showed that specific grass-fed crossbred Angus x Salers cattle can produce lean meat rich in ω-3 PUFAs with a low ω-6/ω-3 ratio and with “better than average” beef eating quality.

Quality of Beef Burgers Formulated with Fat Substitute in a Form of Freeze-Dried Hydrogel Enriched with Açai Oil

The growing number of people at high risk of cardiovascular disease development contributed to both changes in diets by consumers and the reformulation of food products by food producers. Cardiovascular diseases are caused by the i.a. consumption of meat that contains animal fat rich in saturated fatty acids (SFA). The use of fat substitutes in meat seems to be a promising tool for the reduction of cardiovascular disease occurrence. In the presented study, beef fat was replaced at 0 (CO), 25 (S-25%), 50 (S-50%), 75 (S-75%), and 100% (S-100%) by a fat substitute in a form of a lyophilized hydrogel emulsion enriched with encapsulated açai oil. The chemical (TBARS, volatile compound profile, fatty acid profile, pH), and physical (TPA, consumer rating, L*a*b* color, cooking loss) analyses were performed on raw and grilled burgers subjected to storage at cold conditions (4 °C) in days 0 and 7. Burgers formulated with hydrogels had a higher content of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) of about 32% (p < 0.05) and reduced SFAs by 22%. Reformulation of the burger resulted in lower nutritional indices of the atherogenicity index (AI) (0.8 for CO, 0.3 for S-100%, p < 0.05) and thrombogenicity index (TI) (1.8 for CO, 0.6 for S-100%, p < 0.05), as well as led to an increased h/H ratio (1.3 for CO, 3.9 for S-100%, p < 0.05). Furthermore the application of freeze-dried hydrogels reduced cooking loss. Moreover, consumers did not observe significant differences (p < 0.05) between the control and S-25% and S-50% burgers. Thus, the use of lyophilized hydrogels formulated with konjac flour and sodium alginate and enriched with encapsulated acai oil can be successfully applied as a fat substitute in beef burgers.

Board Invited Review: Crossbreeding beef × dairy cattle for the modern beef production system

Current trends in the United States dairy industry suggest that crossbred beef × dairy calves are replacing a proportion of the calf-fed Holstein steers slaughtered for beef each year. Economic pressures value preweaned beef × dairy calves at a premium over preweaned dairy bull calves; however, there is little modern data to support that intensively fed crossbred calves maintain their premium value over dairy steers across the supply chain. Data from international production systems and from historic research suggests that beef × dairy cattle had greater average daily gains and converted feed to gain more efficiently than dairy steers. Regarding carcass characteristics, across the literature crossbreds consistently yielded heavier carcasses that had lower proportions of trim than dairy steers. Fewer comparisons of beef × dairy and dairy steers exist in the literature for other economically relevant carcass characteristics such as ribeye area, backfat, marbling, tenderness, and eating quality. Existing published data are inconsistent among studies, highlighting the necessity for more research tailored to the United States beef production system.

Animal board invited review - Beef for future: technologies for a sustainable and profitable beef industry

The global consumption, notably in developing countries, and production of beef are increasing continuously, and this requires the industry to improve performance and to reduce the environmental impact of the production chain. Since the improvement in efficiency and the highest impacts occur at farm level, it is appropriate to focus on the profitability and environmental sustainability of these enterprises. In many areas of the world, beef production is economically and socially relevant because it accounts for a significant portion of the agricultural production and represents a vital economic activity in mountain and hill districts of many regions, where few alternatives for other agricultural production exist. Due to the important role in the agricultural and food economy worldwide, the future of the beef industry is linked to the reduction of ecological impacts, mainly adopting the agroecological mitigation practices, and the simultaneous improvement of production performances and of product quality. This review analyses the technical and managerial solutions currently available to increase the efficiency of the beef industry and, at the same time, to reduce its environmental impacts in response to the growing concerns and awareness of citizens and consumers.

Next Generation Sequencing of Single Nucleotide Polymorphic DNA-Markers in Selecting for Intramuscular Fat, Fat Melting Point, Omega-3 Long-Chain Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids and Meat Eating Quality in Tattykeel Australian White MARGRA Lamb

Meat quality data can only be obtained after slaughter when selection decisions about the live animal are already too late. Carcass estimated breeding values present major precision problems due to low accuracy, and by the time an informed decision on the genetic merit for meat quality is made, the animal is already dead. We report for the first time, a targeted next-generation sequencing (NGS) of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) of lipid metabolism genes in Tattykeel Australian White (TAW) sheep of the MARGRA lamb brand, utilizing an innovative and minimally invasive muscle biopsy sampling technique for directly quantifying the genetic worth of live lambs for health-beneficial omega-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 LC-PUFA), intramuscular fat (IMF), and fat melting point (FMP). NGS of stearoyl-CoA desaturase (SCD), fatty acid binding protein-4 (FABP4), and fatty acid synthase (FASN) genes identified functional SNP with unique DNA marker signatures for TAW genetics. The SCD g.23881050T>C locus was significantly associated with IMF, C22:6n-3, and C22:5n-3; FASN g.12323864A>G locus with FMP, C18:3n-3, C18:1n-9, C18:0, C16:0, MUFA, and FABP4 g.62829478A>T locus with IMF. These add new knowledge, precision, and reliability in directly making early and informed decisions on live sheep selection and breeding for health-beneficial n-3 LC-PUFA, FMP, IMF and superior meat-eating quality at the farmgate level. The findings provide evidence that significant associations exist between SNP of lipid metabolism genes and n-3 LC-PUFA, IMF, and FMP, thus underpinning potential marker-assisted selection for meat-eating quality traits in TAW lambs.

Physicochemical and Sensory Assessments in Spain and United States of PGI-Certified Ternera de Navarra vs. Certified Angus Beef

The physicochemical and sensory differences between the PGI-Certified Ternera de Navarra (CTNA) (Spanish origin) and Certified Angus Beef (CAB) (US origin) were assessed in Spain and the USA. To characterize the carcasses, the ribeye areas (REAs), and marbling levels were assessed in both testing places. Twenty striploins per certified beef program were used as study samples. For sensory analysis, the striploins were vacuum packaged and aged for 7 days at 4 °C and 85% RH in each corresponding laboratory. Thereafter, the samples were half cut and frozen. One of the halves was shipped to the other counterpart-testing place. The fat and moisture percentage content, Warner Bratzler Shear Force (WBSF), and total and soluble collagen were tested for all the samples. The CAB carcasses had smaller REAs (p < 0.0001) and exhibited higher marbling levels (p < 0.0001). The CAB striploins had a higher fat content (p < 0.0001) and required lower WBSF (p < 0.05) than the CTNA samples. Trained panelists rated the CAB samples as juicer (p < 0.001), more tender/less tough (p < 0.0001), and more flavorful (p < 0.0001) than the CTNA counterparts. This study shows that beef from both countries had medium-high tenderness, juiciness, and beef flavor scores and very low off-flavor scores. Relevant differences found between the ratings assigned by the Spanish and the US panelists suggest training differences, or difficulties encountered in using the appropriate terminology for defining each sensory attribute. Furthermore, the lack of product knowledge (i.e., consumption habits) may have been another reason for such differences, despite the blind sensory evaluation.

Are Marbling and the Prediction of Beef Eating Quality Affected by Different Grading Sites?

For the European abattoirs, the preferred carcass grading site is at the fifth rib, and cutting at the tenth rib as in Australia could lead to a lower economic value of the carcass. Therefore, the objective of this study was to compare the grading scores of marbling and the meat and fat color on Musculus longissimus thoracis et lumborum (LTL) at the fifth and the tenth thoracic vertebrae. The consequences on the prediction of beef eating quality using the Meat Standards Australia (MSA) grading scheme were also evaluated for cull cows, which produce the majority of beef consumed in France. Carcasses from 208 French cattle, mainly Limousine cows, were graded according to the Australian Beef Carcase Chiller Assessment System (ABCAS) used for the implementation of the MSA system. The results indicate that there was no significant difference in the marbling score, between the fifth and the tenth ribs and hence in the MSA index and in the Global Quality [meat quality (MQ4)] scores calculated from marbling values from either the fifth rib or the tenth rib. However, the meat color at the tenth rib was significantly darker than that at the fifth rib (p < 0.01), and the fat color at the tenth rib was significantly yellower than that at the fifth rib (p < 0.001). The results of this study suggest that the grading of marbling can be conducted on M. LTL at the fifth thoracic vertebrae for routine use of the MSA system in France and, more generally, in Europe. However, further investigation and adjustment would be needed for other critical MSA scores (such as rib fat thickness) while respecting the European carcass quartering practices.

Evaluation of Greek Cattle Carcass Characteristics (Carcass Weight and Age of Slaughter) Based on SEUROP Classification System

In Greece, all cattle carcasses produced from a variety of breed types are classified according to the SEUROP system. The objective of this study was to evaluate Greek carcass characteristics such as carcass weight and age of slaughter based on SEUROP classification system (muscle conformation and fat deposit classes) and to describe the effect of main factors such as breed, gender, year of slaughter, farm's geographical region and month of slaughter on these carcass parameters. It is the first study that evaluates local breeds, revealing the wide diversity of the Greek cattle breeding conditions. The analyzed records consisted of 323,046 carcasses from 2011 to 2017. All the examined factors significantly affected the mean carcass weight (298.9 ± 0.2 kg) and the mean slaughter age (559.1 ± 0.3 days). Carcasses from beef meat breeds had on average higher mean carcass weight while the local breeds had lower. The mean slaughter age and carcass weight were higher in winter than in summer. The local and the dairy breeds were classified in similar muscle conformation classes. Finally, Greek cattle carcasses from almost all regions were satisfactory for their quality carcass traits with good muscle conformation (R, O and U class) and low-fat deposit (class 1 to 3).