Interrelations between beef carcass type, chilling rate and weight loss, and heat quality

Author(s):  
A.V. Fisher ◽  
A.J. Gigiel ◽  
G.R. Nute ◽  
M.V.L. Swain

There is a belief, held by many in the meat industry, in catering, and by consumers alike, that meat from leaner carcasses is inferior in eating quality to that from fatter ones. In addition, meat from leaner continental breeds has been suggested by some to be inferior to that from the more traditional British beef breeds which fatten more readily at lighter weights, and meat from bulls has been similarly implicated. This may be an extrapolation of the belief in the role of fat, or it may be a separate issue concerned with other underlying genetic or physiological differences. Other factors known to influence meat quality are pre-slaughter handling and post-mortem chilling rates and conditioning. Rapid chilling of beef carcasses has economic advantages through a faster turnover and lower evaporative losses, but may impair eating quality by inducing muscle cold-shortening. Chill rate may be influenced by carcass type, in particular by the amount of fat present and by the thickness of the tissues. It is possible that the role of fatness (and conformation) in eating quality of meat may be manifested indirectly through its effect on rate of cooling.

Author(s):  
B G Lowman ◽  
D R Neilson ◽  
N A Scott ◽  
E A Hunter

A previous investigation, reported at the Winter Meeting 1985, showed significant effects of growth promoters on carcass composition and on the eating quality of sirloin steaks. The growth promoters investigated factorially were (a) hormonal implants (heifers, Zeranol; steers, Zeranol + Trembolone acetate), (b) feed additive (Avotan) and (c) fishmeal. The experiment was repeated during the winter of 1984/85, with the eating quality investigation expanded to cover some 192 households, using sirloin steaks from all 64 cattle involved in the investigation. In addition, the rate of carcass cooling in the left-hand side of each animal was measured using electronic probe thermometers placed in the longissimus dorsi immediately after slaughter. This data was used to test the hypothesis that rate of carcass cooling was negatively related to the fat content of the carcass and with overall eating quality due to the effects of cold shortening.


2004 ◽  
Vol 84 (3) ◽  
pp. 377-384 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. A. M. Janz ◽  
J. L. Aalhus ◽  
W. M. Robertson ◽  
M. E. R. Dugan ◽  
I. L. Larsen ◽  
...  

To determine the effect of modified carcass chilling on beef carcass grade and meat quality, paired sides were assigned to modified (5°C for 24 h then 0–2°C until 48 h post-mortem) or control chilling (0–2°C for 24 h). After grading at the completion of respective chilling treatments, the longissimus lumborum (LL), longissimus thoracis (LT), semimembranosus (SM), semitendinosus (ST), and infraspinatus (IS) were removed and evaluated immediately or aged for 7, 15, 21, or 29 d prior to evaluation. Estimated cutability was not affected by chill treatment. Modified chilled sides tended (P = 0.15) to have greater marbling scores than control with ~65% having scores 10–110 units greater than control. In ~15% of paired sides, this difference was sufficient to result in upgrading from Canada AA to Canada AAA. Modified chilling reduced mean shear value across all muscles, with these early effects persisting throughout ageing in the LL and LT and represented a savings of at least 7 d of refrigerated ageing time. Neither modified chilling nor ageing could be relied upon to produce consistently tender meat in the SM and ST. Prior to ageing the IS was the most tender muscle and underwent gradual but significant tenderization during ageing. Since tenderness is the most important meat quality trait, industry adoption of cut specific ageing, combined with modified carcass chilling, would appear to be beneficial to ensure consistent and high-quality beef. Key words: Marbling, ageing, tenderness, beef carcass chilling


1972 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 229-237
Author(s):  
C. E. Hinks ◽  
J. H. D. Prescott

SUMMARYTwo experiments concerning the effects, on the carcass and meat characteristics of 18-months-old Friesian steers, of variation in grazing intensity and the level of barley feeding with silage are reported.Groups of 12 steers were grazed at different intensities over 5-month grazing periods, such that live-weight differences of 38 kg and 16 kg were recorded at housing. No compensatory growth was recorded during the subsequent winter feeding period.Whilst the grazing treatments had little effect on carcass or meat quality, higher levels of barley feeding with silage over the winter period (710 v. 410 kg/steer) had significant effects on live-weight gain, and increased carcass weight by 21 kg at slaughter. The higher yield of carcass weight was reflected in significant differences in carcass composition, joint proportions and retail cut-out value. Sixty per cent of the carcass weight difference was removed as trim fat. Differences in carcass fatness were not associated with any differences in eating quality.


2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Umer Seid Geletu ◽  
Munera Ahmednur Usmael ◽  
Yesihak Yusuf Mummed ◽  
Abdulmuen Mohammed Ibrahim

Meat is the most valuable livestock product since it is one of the main sources of protein for human consumption. Meat quality can be evaluated according to the following parameters: pH, amount of lactic acid, volatile fatty acids, bounded water, solubility of proteins, color, and tenderness. The meat composition and physical properties of muscles have been characterized for ensuring improved eating quality. Thus, the purpose of this paper was to review the major chemical compositional and physicochemical properties of meat and, at the same time, its quality attributes and factors that affect quality of meat. A number of structural features of meat as connective tissue, muscle fibers, and tendon that attaches the muscle to the bone are visible in joint meat examined through naked eyes. Water is quantitatively the most important component of meat comprising up to 75% of weight. Meat is also composed of amino acids, fatty acids, vitamins, minerals, and other important ingredients. Quality factors perceived by consumers are related to sensory attributes (e.g., color, tenderness, and flavor), nutritional properties (e.g., calories, vitamins’ content, and fatty acids’ profile), and appearance (e.g., exudation, marbling, and visible amount of fat). However, fresh meat quality can be defined instrumentally including composition, nutrients, color, water-holding capacity, tenderness, functionality, flavors, spoilage, and contamination. Visual inspection based on sensory quality attributes and different chemical methods are used to analyze meat quality. Other methods such as computer vision and imaging spectroscopy, gas chromatographic analysis, near-infrared technology, dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, and computerized tomography scanning are also used in the meat industry. So, the aim of the present review is to review quality characteristics of cattle meat and its composition constituents.


Author(s):  
Liisa Voutila ◽  
Anne Maria Mullen ◽  
Paul Allen ◽  
Declan Troy ◽  
Eero Puolanne

Loose structure and PSE like zones on the lateral surface of porcine semimembranosus muscle have beenobserved by other researchers. However the role of connective tissue in this abnormally loose structure insemimembranosus muscle has not yet been clarified. We collected about 100g samples from 7 loosestructured and 7 normal structured Irish commercial porcine semimembranosus muscles in order tocompare the onset and peak of thermal transition temperature of intramuscular connective tissue betweenthe samples from the two groups. Meat quality parameters, ultimate pH, rough estimate for drip loss,lightness (L), redness (a) yellowness (b) and as well as electrical conductivity and reflectance were alsomeasured on the samples. Four of the samples characterized as normal by visual assessment showed DFDcharacteristic so the statistical analysis was carried out both including and excluding those samples. Inboth cases the onset (p<0.001; 56.94ºC vs. 59.82ºC) and peak (p<0.001; 62.59ºC vs. 64.06ºC) of thermaltransition temperature were significantly lower in loose structured meat than in normal structured meat.Also reflectance% was lower (p<0.01; 45.18% vs. 69.17%) and the colour lighter (higher L value; p<0.01;55.05 vs. 45.52) and more yellow (higher b value; p<0.001; 18.27 vs. 14.78) in loose structured meat thanin normal structured meat when the DFD like samples were excluded. These results indicate that loosestructure in porcine semimembranosus muscle could be attributed in part to connective tissue propertiespossibly in conjunction with PSE effects.


2019 ◽  
Vol 97 (Supplement_3) ◽  
pp. 195-195
Author(s):  
Chongwu Yang ◽  
Janghan Choi ◽  
Marion Mogire ◽  
Argenis Rodas-González ◽  
Moussa S Diarra ◽  
...  

Abstract This study investigated the effects of encapsulated citral (CIT) and cinnamaldehyde (CIN) on growth performance, intestinal morphology and meat quality in broilers. A total of 320 0-day-age male broilers (Cobb 500) were allocated 32 pens with 8 pens per treatment. The treatments included: 1) Corn-wheat-SBM basal diet (negative control); 2) basal diet with 30 ppm avilamycin premix (positive control); 3) basal diet with 50 ppm encapsulated CIT and CIN (CCL); 4) basal diet with 100 ppm encapsulated CIT and CIN (CCH). There were no significant differences between treatments in growth performance (P &gt; 0.05) at each feeding stage. Additionally, birds had similar relative organ weights of heart, liver, spleen and bursa (P &gt; 0.05). The higher ratios of villus height to crypt depth (VCR; P ≤ 0.05) were detected in broilers fed either CCL or CCH, with an average being 14.67 and 15.13 in the duodenum, and 15.13 and 13.58 in the jejunum, respectively. Regarding meat quality, a higher pH value (pH = 6.21) in the breast was observed in 24-h post mortem chickens fed CCL (P ≤ 0.05). No significant differences of pH were detected in the breast in 96-h post mortem birds. The breast color (redness, yellowness, and lightness) in either 24-h or 96-h post mortem chickens was not significantly different among treatments (P &gt; 0.05). No change in purge loss (%) was observed in the breast after 48 h. The severity of white striping (WS) or woody meat (WB) was higher in the positive control (WS = 0.58; WB = 0.15) than in other treatments (P ≤ 0.05). In conclusion, dietary treatment with encapsulated CIT and CIN improved gut morphology and meat quality of broilers by increasing VCR in the small intestine and reducing the severity of WS/WB in the breast, respectively, without affecting growth performance.


1995 ◽  
Vol 1995 ◽  
pp. 193-193
Author(s):  
V.E. Beattie ◽  
N. Walker ◽  
L.J. Farmer ◽  
I.A. Sneddont

Enriching the housing of growing pigs by creating an environment which is responsive can stimulate behaviour patterns similar to that of pigs in semi-natural conditions (Beattie 1994, Simonsen 1990). These changes in behaviour in conjunction with the absence of tail-biting and ear chewing in enriched environments (Beattie, Sneddon & Walker 1993) are indicators of improved welfare (Signoret 1983).This study investigated the effect of enrichment on welfare, production performance and eating quality of the resultant pork. Welfare was assessed using behavioural measures.


Author(s):  
H. Ellis ◽  
A.J. Webb ◽  
P.J. Avery ◽  
R. Smithard ◽  
I. Brown

There is increasing concern within all sectors of the UK pig industry with meat quality and particularly the eating quality of pork. Against this background, a collaborative study involving 6 organisations was carried out to investigate the relative influences of a number of production factors on the eating quality of fresh pigmeat. The results relating to two of these factors, namely feeding regime and sex of pig, are reported here.


1991 ◽  
Vol 71 (2) ◽  
pp. 311-319 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. C. Vincent ◽  
S. D. M. Jones ◽  
L. E. Jeremiah ◽  
J. A. Newman ◽  
M. A. Price

Three groups of once-calved (OCH) heifers were slaughtered following the weaning of their calves at 3 (OCH3, n = 32), 5 (OCH5, n = 33) and 7 (OCH7, n = 31) months postcalving. A fourth group of heifers was fed a silage/grain diet and slaughtered at 15 mo of age (C, n = 32). Alternate sides of each carcass were electrically stimulated (ES) at 475 volts for 1 min (20 pulses m−1, 60 Hz) at 45 min post-stunning. All left sides were dissected into fat, lean and bone and meat quality parameters recorded. Rib eye steaks were evaluated for palatability by a trained panel and for consumer acceptability after an aging period of 6 d. All OCH groups produced heavier carcasses with a higher level of marbling than the C group after adjustment of the data to a constant proportion of carcass fatness, but the proportional yields of lean and bone tissue were similar for all heifer groups. OCH groups produced meat that was darker with a lower drip loss and higher 45 min and 6 d pH than the C group. Consumer acceptability of rib eye steaks was similar for all heifer groups, but the OCH7 (oldest) group had a higher amount of connective tissue when evaluated by a trained panel than other heifer groups. Taste panel evaluations showed that ES increased meat tenderness and overall palatability and reduced the amount of connective tissue when compared to meat from unstimulated carcasses. ES also increased the consumer acceptability of tenderness by 14.3%, flavor by 5.6%, juiciness by 5.2% and overall palatability by 6.7% over meat from unstimulated carcasses. It was concluded that once-calved heifers could produce heavier carcasses of similar composition and meat with similar eating quality to conventionally managed nonpregnant feedlot heifers. Electrical stimulation improved the consumer acceptability of meat primarily through an improvement in meat tenderness. Key words: Beef, carcass, electrical stimulation, meat quality, once-calved heifers


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