The variation in tenderness becomes a major concern for the industry. This study aimed to investigate the quality of the Longissimus thoracis muscle of Nellore bulls (Bos indicus) in different groups of meat tenderness. From a population of 90 animals, three experimental groups of tender, intermediate and tough meat were selected, through the analysis of shear force (SF) and myofibrillar fragmentation index. Carcass traits (hot carcass weight and carcass yield) showed no difference (p > 0.05) among the experimental groups. The tender meat group (SF = 3.9 ± 0.7 kg) showed a significant difference (p < 0.05) for rib eye area, backfat thickness, visual marbling score, intramuscular lipid content and meat lightness compared to the intermediate (SF = 5.6 ± 0.7 kg) and tough meat group (SF = 7.9 ± 1.4 kg). Cooking losses showed difference (p < 0.05) between the tender and tough meat groups 24 hours and 07 days after slaughter. These results provide an important insight into the meat quality variability (phenotypic traits) from Nellore cattle, which can improve selection strategies in breeding programs.
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