VARIATION IN MEAT QUALITY AT THREE SITES ALONG THE LENGTH OF THE BEEF LONGISSIMUS MUSCLE

1990 ◽  
Vol 70 (2) ◽  
pp. 707-710 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. GARIÉPY ◽  
S. D. M. JONES ◽  
W. M. ROBERTSON

Variation in meat quality parameters (pH, color, shear force, expressible juice, drip loss) for the longissimus muscle at three sites (site 1 = 4–7th ribs, site 2 = 8–12th ribs, site 3 = 13th rib - 5th lumbar vertebra) was investigated in the right carcass sides from 80 steers. Muscle pH was similar for all three sites at 45 min and at 24 h postmortem. At 6 d, muscle pH was higher (P < 0.05) at site 1 than site 3. Visually assessed color scores were similar (P > 0.05) for all three sites. Minor differences were found for expressible juice and drip loss across the three sites. It was concluded that apart from shear force, quality variation at the three sites along the longissimus muscle was minor. Key words: Beef, longissimus, meat quality variation

2020 ◽  
Vol 33 (10) ◽  
pp. 1656-1665
Author(s):  
Apolo A. Carrasco-García ◽  
Violeta T. Pardío-Sedas ◽  
Gloria G. León-Banda ◽  
Concepción Ahuja-Aguirre ◽  
Pedro Paredes-Ramos ◽  
...  

Objective: This study aimed to determine the effects of stress during slaughter of beef cattle on physiological parameters, carcass, and meat quality at a Federal Inspection Type slaughterhouse located in the southeast of Mexico.Methods: A total of 448 carcasses of male Zebu×European steers with an average age of 36 months were included. Carcass assessment of presence of bruises and bruise characteristics was carried out on each half-carcass. Blood variable indicators of stress (packed cell volume, neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio, glucose, cortisol concentration) and meat quality parameters (pH, color, shear force, drip loss) were evaluated.Results: Of the 448 carcasses evaluated, 81% of the carcasses showed at least one bruise; one bruise was detected in 36.6% and two bruises in 27.0% of animals. Of the 775 bruises found, 69.2% of the bruises were grade 1 in region 3. Of the 448 carcasses studied, 69.6% showed hyperglycemia (6.91 mmol/L); 44.3% and 22.7% showed high (74.7 ng/mL) and extremely high (108.8 ng/mL) cortisol levels, respectively, indicative of inadequate handling of animals during preslaughter and slaughter. Of the carcasses evaluated, 90.4% had a pH ≥5.8 with an average of pH 6.3. In both pH groups, meat samples showed L* values >37.0 (81.6%) and a shear force >54.3 N; meat pH≥5.8 group showed a drip loss of 2.5%. These findings were indicative of dark, firm, and dry (DFD) meat. According to principal component analysis, grades 1 and 2 bruises in region 3 and grade 1 bruises in region 5 were highly associated with cortisol, drip loss, and color parameters b* and h* and were negatively associated with L*, a*, and C*.Conclusion: The bruises probably caused by stress-inducing situations triggered DFD meat. Appropriate changes in handling routines in operating conditions should be made to minimize stress to animals during the slaughter process to improve animal welfare and meat quality.


2012 ◽  
Vol 52 (12) ◽  
pp. 1153 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. C. Hoffman ◽  
W. J. Wolmarans ◽  
C. Smith ◽  
T. S. Brand

The purpose of this study was to compare the effect of different transport distances on ostrich meat quality parameters, weight loss, and dressing percentage. Twenty-four ostriches were transported for 0 (T0), 60 (T60) and 600 (T600) km before being slaughtered. There was a significant difference (P = 0.038) in the percentage liveweight loss during transport and lairage between T60 km (2.4 ± 2.185%) and T600 km (8.13 ± 1.156%), respectively. There was also a significant difference (P = 0.003) in dressing percentage (farm weight to cold carcass weight) between the two abovementioned groups (T60 = 49.77%; T600 = 46.86%). Treatments also had a significant effect (P < 0.05) on ultimate pH (pHu), with the ostriches that did not travel exhibiting the lowest average pHu (5.77 ± 0.053) and the birds that travelled 600 km having the highest average pHu (6.11 ± 0.053). No differences (P > 0.05) were found in shear force and percentage cooking loss between the treatments, although all three treatments differed significantly (P < 0.05) from each other in drip loss (T0 km = 0.40%; T60 km = 1.36%; T600 km = 0.97%). Significant differences (P < 0.05) were found for L*, b* and hue-angle colour ordinates between the three treatments, while there were no differences (P > 0.05) in a* and chroma values. A significant correlation was found between hue angle (r = 0.528; P = 0.008) and pHu. The results of this study indicate that ostrich transport distance influences liveweight loss and meat quality.


1989 ◽  
Vol 69 (3) ◽  
pp. 635-640 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. GARIEPY ◽  
S. D. M. JONES ◽  
A. C. MURRAY ◽  
W. M. ROBERTSON

Over a 3-yr period, two experiments were conducted on 465 pigs to evaluate the effect of genetic line and shackling on pork muscle quality. In exp. 1, 343 gilts and barrows of two stress-resistant genotypes (Lacombe and Yorkshire) were compared for 45 min pH and temperature (To), and ultimate meat quality. In exp. 2, 102 gilts and barrows of a stress-susceptible (Halothane+/+), a stress-resistant (Halothane−/−) and a heterozygous genotype (Halothane+/−), were compared for the same parameters. In both experiments, following electrical stunning (head to back; 400 V, 1.7 A), pigs were shackled by alternate hind legs for 3–4 min including bleeding time. Color, pH, percent drip loss, percent expressible juice, percent soluble protein, shear force measurements, as well as subjective evaluation of color and structure were performed for the midsection of the longissimus muscle. Results of exp. 1 showed that Lacombe pigs produced meat with significantly higher processing attributes (lower drip loss and expressible juice, higher soluble protein) and lower shear force values than Yorkshire pigs. Shackling had no significant effect on longissimus muscle quality. In exp. 2, genetic line had a significant effect on pork quality. Although shackling showed significant interaction with sex on 45-min measurements for pH and To, shackling was found to have little effect on ultimate meat quality. It was concluded that genotype had a major influence and shackling had a very minor influence on longissimus muscle quality. Key words: Pig, shackling, meat quality, stress susceptibility


2020 ◽  
Vol 98 (Supplement_4) ◽  
pp. 18-19
Author(s):  
Ryley J Vanderhout ◽  
Michelle Yahiro ◽  
Benjamin Wood ◽  
Shai Barbut ◽  
Jeff S Mohr ◽  
...  

Abstract Genetic selection for improved meat quality traits has been successfully implemented in many livestock species. The objective of this study was to estimate the heritability of several meat quality traits to assess their selection potential in turkeys. Pedigree toms (n = 1,033) were processed at a commercial facility and live weight, breast meat yield (as a percentage of live weight), ultimate pH, color (CIELAB values), drip loss, cooking loss, and shear force were recorded on M. pectoralis superficialis (fillet). White striping was also rated on a 1–4 scale. Heritabilities were estimated using univariate animal models in ASReml version 4.1. Hatch week and age at slaughter were included as fixed effects in the mode,l and 32 generations of pedigree records were used. Breast meat yield (h2 = 0.62; SE = 0.090) showed the highest heritability and was higher compared to previous estimates, probably due to the smaller sample size. Live weight (h2 = 0.31; SE = 0.078), ultimate pH (h2 = 0.36; SE = 0.087), lightness (h2 = 0.28; SE = 0.086), redness (h2 = 0.22; SE = 0.075), and white striping score (h2 = 0.27; SE = 0.085) all had moderate heritabilities. The estimate for ultimate pH was similar to previous studies in broilers but was high compared to previous studies in turkeys. Estimates for color were similar to those found in previous studies involving turkeys. Drip loss and cooking loss had similar heritability estimates of 0.13 (SE = 0.071) and 0.10 (SE = 0.064), respectively, which were akin to previous estimates in pork. Shear force (h2 = 0.02; SE = 0.056) was found to have a very low heritability. In conclusion, the heritability estimates provided in this study show great potential for the inclusion of meat quality traits in selection programs of turkeys. This study is part of a larger project working towards the implementation of genomic information in the selection of turkeys for improved meat quality.


2018 ◽  
Vol 58 (11) ◽  
pp. 1976 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amalia Simonetti ◽  
Andrea Rando ◽  
Paola Di Gregorio ◽  
Carmelisa Valluzzi ◽  
Annamaria Perna ◽  
...  

The aim of this study was to analyse the polymorphisms in the two promoter regions, P1 and P2, of the porcine Insulin-like Growth Factor 2 (IGF2) gene and to investigate the effect of IGF2 genotypes on meat quality traits in the Italian autochthonous Suino Nero Lucano pig. Three polymorphic sites were analysed and only two of the eight potential haplotypes were observed in the Suino Nero Lucano pig population: A haplotype (–366A – –225G – –182C), and B haplotype (–366G – –225C – –182T). Muscle mass and meat quality characteristics were analysed in 30 castrated pigs (10 for each of the three IGF2 genotypes: A/A, A/B, and B/B). According to the results, B/B animals, at the same carcass weight, showed the highest Longissimus lumborum and Psoas weight (P < 0.05), whereas A/A animals showed a higher intramuscular fat percentage and lower Warner–Bratzler shear force, drip loss, and polyunsaturated fatty acids content. Meat from B/B animals showed also a higher L* value and myoglobin and deoxymyoglobin percentage compared with meat from A/A ones (P < 0.05).


2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
J. V. Cooper ◽  
S. Suman ◽  
Z. D. Callahan ◽  
K. C. Kerns ◽  
M. Zigo ◽  
...  

ObjectivesPrevious research revealed a relationship between meat color and beef tenderness and indicated that myoglobin can inhibit calpain-1 in solution. The objective of this study was to determine the extent to which myoglobin and beef color are associated with calpain activity and beef tenderness.Materials and MethodsBeef Longissimus dorsi samples from the left side of Holstein beef carcasses (n = 21) were collected immediately post exsanguination on the processing floor for 0 h analyses. Muscle temperature and pH was measured at 0, 24, and 48 h postmortem. After USDA quality and yield grade determination, steaks (n = 6) were removed from the right side of each carcass (n = 21) at 48 h for analyses at 48 and 336 h postmortem. Color (L*, a*, and b* values), surface myoglobin redox forms, metmyoglobin reducing activity (MRA), total myoglobin concentrations, slice shear force (SSF), Warner-Bratzler shear force (WBSF) were measured. Calpain-1 concentrations and autolysis were determined via Western blot at 0, 48, and 336 h.ResultsDecline in muscle pH was 6.4, 5.8, and 5.6 at 0, 24, and 48 h, respectively. Shear force values at 48 h were 73.19 N for WBSF and 384.21 N for SSF and at 336 h were 48.75 N for WBSF and 260.47 N for SSF. Myoglobin reducing activity at 336 h was positively correlated to WBSF at 48 h and negatively correlated to calpain-1 concentration at 0 h (P < 0.05; Table 9). Color measurements of L* and b* at 48 h were moderately correlated with WBSF at 336 h (P < 0.05; Table 9). The b* measurement at 336 h showed a moderate relationship to calpain-1 concentration at 0 h (P < 0.05; Table 9).ConclusionModerate correlations between color and tenderness measurements taken at 48 h with those taken at 336 h were discovered indicating that myoglobin may impact calpain-1 in vivo.Table 9Correlations (P-values) between selected color and tenderness measurements (n = 21)


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peiqiang Yuan ◽  
Sen Lin ◽  
Jiyong Peng ◽  
Yunxia Li ◽  
Yunhan Liu ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Intensive selection for faster growth rate and higher lean percentage led to increase in protein deposition but deterioration in meat quality of pigs, thus there is growing interest in exploring the nutritional strategies to improve meat quality. Methionine has been shown to activate mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1 protein kinase that plays pivotal roles in the regulation of protein and lipid synthesis. However, few study reports are available regarding the effects of dietary methionine supplementation at levels beyond growth requirements on lipid and protein metabolism and thus on pork quality. The objective of this study was to assess whether pork quality was improved by increasing dietary digestible sulfur amino acids (SAA) levels, with pigs fed the control (100% SAA), DL-Methionine (125% SAA)- or OH-Methionine (125% SAA)-supplemented diets during 11–110 kg period. Results Increasing SAA above requirements did not significantly affect growth performance, whereas improved pork quality as indicated by the decreased drip loss and a tendency towards decrease in shear force of longissimus lumborum muscle. Moreover, fresh muscle from barrows fed OH-Methionine showed a higher lightness value compared with the control and DL-Methionine treatments. The relatively lower shear force might be explained by the decrease in crude protein and increase in glycolytic potential, while the decreased drip loss was associated with down-regulation of genes (like fast glycolytic IIx) regulating fiber types. The increased lightness value of fresh muscle from barrows fed OH-Met diets appeared to be associated with the increased lactate level, which can be further explained by the increased plasma short-chain fatty acids concentrations, up-regulated G-protein coupled receptor 43 activation and enhanced glucagon-like peptide 1 secretion. Conclusion Increased SAA consumption appeared to improve pork water-holding capacity and tenderness likely through regulation of energy and protein metabolism and muscle’s fiber profile, which provides new insights into the nutritional strategies to improve meat quality.


Animals ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (9) ◽  
pp. 667
Author(s):  
Khaleel I. Jawasreh ◽  
Ahmad H. Al-Amareen ◽  
Pauline Y. Aad

Advances in molecular genetics have allowed the identification of genes that can enhance livestock production. The aim of this study was to investigate possible relationships between the calpastatin (CAST) Hha1 gene polymorphisms and growth performance, carcass characteristics, and meat quality in Awassi sheep. A total of 87 blood samples were collected from two-week-old Awassi ram lambs. The amplification of the CAST Hha1 gene yielded a fragment of 622 bp. Three CAST genotypes were found in Awassi sheep: MM for two fragments (385 bp and 281 bp), MN for three fragments (622 bp, 385 bp, and 281 bp), and NN for only one fragment (622 bp). The M and N allele frequencies of the CAST Hha1 genotypes were 0.765 and 0.235, respectively, while the genotypic frequencies of MM, MN, and NN were 0.586, 0.356, and 0.057, respectively. Based on CAST Hha1 gene polymorphisms, three groups of lambs (MM: n = 8; MN: n = 6; and NN: n = 3 genotypes) were subjected to a fattening period of 70 days to investigate growth performance and meat characteristics. Only the final body weight and longissimus muscle width were significantly different between the three genotypes, while no significant differences were detected in any other carcass characteristics and meat quality parameters. In this study, new variants were observed in CAST using the Hha1 restriction site, potentially assisting in Awassi sheep breeding and selection programs to improve final body weight and longissimus muscle width.


2019 ◽  
Vol 97 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 27-28 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robin G Coombs ◽  
C R Richardon

Abstract The focus of this study involved measuring two variables of meat quality: tenderness and cooking loss. Experiments were conducted on a premium cut of meat – the loin. The loin contains the Longissimus muscle, with pieces of the Iliocostalis and Spinalis dorsi muscles. The Longissimus muscle was cored for tenderness. Two sources of loins were evaluated: Akaushi breed, and from a commercial grocery store. Meat used consisted of Akaushi loins from 6 different animals (prime grade) and one select grade loin (control). The protocol involved dividing each loin into 6 (907-1134g) roasts, cooking at 104.40 C (to internal temperature of 73.90 C), measuring by weight the cooking loss of the roasts after a 30-minute resting period, and determining tenderness by Warner-Bratzler Shear Force (WBSF) (after overnight storage in a cooler). Cores were taken at 6 different locations of the roast, over the same regional area for WBSF determinations. The WBSF coring instrument used was provided. Tenderness of each loin was measured in 36 cores (n = 36). In overall tenderness, the control loin ranked third out of the seven loins and had the least amount of cooking loss. No differences were found in tenderness (P > 0.05). However, a difference was found in average cooking loss 181.44g ± 0.03 (control); 254.01g ± 0.03 (Akaushi) (P < 0.05). When observing tenderness consistency, the control loin had a somewhat larger standard deviation (1.38 vs 0.756) than the Akaushi loins.Loins used in this study showed variation in cooking loss, tenderness, and consistency between a commercial grocery store source and the Akaushi beef source. These data indicates that quality attributes of beef loins used in this study may be different in ways not related to grade.


2020 ◽  
Vol 60 (7) ◽  
pp. 967
Author(s):  
E. C. Webb ◽  
B. Agbeniga

Context The present study investigated the effects of several electrical-stimulation parameters with conventional chilling of heavy- and light-grade carcasses from commercial feedlot cattle on selected meat-quality attributes. Aims The aim was to determine the combination of electrical-stimulation parameters that produced the most desirable results in terms of meat quality, which will serve as a guide to processors seeking to enact best processes in the meat industry. Methods Low-voltage electrical stimulation (110 V peak, 17 pulses/s, 5-ms pulse width) was applied either early post-mortem (PM) at 7 min or late PM at 45 min, for either 30 or 60 s on steer carcasses (n = 98) divided into two weight categories (light (≤260 kg) and heavy (≥290 kg) grades). The Longissimus lumborum muscle was evaluated for sarcomere length, myofibril fragment length (MFL), calpain-1, calpastatin, shear force and drip loss (3 and 14 days PM). Key results There were no significant differences in sarcomere length and no sarcomere shortening was observed. There were minor inconsistencies where early stimulation coincided with marginally longer MFL at 3 and 14 days PM, while late stimulation produced the shortest MFL at 14 days PM. Higher decline in calpain-1 concentration (mean 36.2%) was recorded in the early stimulated carcasses compared with the late stimulated carcasses (mean 29.7%) from 1 to 24 h PM, while calpastatin concentration decreased at a similar rate (mean 24%). Early stimulation resulted in lower shear force (P &lt; 0.05) at 3 days PM, especially in the heavier carcasses, indicating that higher initial temperature did accelerate tenderisation. At 14 days PM, there were no significant differences in shear force as regards stimulation time or carcass weight. Higher drip loss was however recorded in the early stimulated carcasses. Conclusions Early application of low-voltage electrical stimulation produced faster tenderisation early PM, due to higher rigor temperature, but, after aging for 14 days, all meat was acceptably tender with a lower variability, regardless of the stimulation time and carcass weight. Higher drip loss was associated with higher tenderness, which is normal and not a defect. Implications The use of low-voltage electrical stimulation should be encouraged for its ability to reduce variability in meat quality due to carcass-weight differences, especially in the current feedlot systems.


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