Cluster analysis application identifies muscle characteristics of importance for beef tenderness

Simões

et al. 2015

Animal

The aim of this study was to evaluate the carcass and meat characteristics of eight muscles from bulls with distinct growth paths. A total of 40 Alentejana male calves were allocated to two distinct feeding regimes. In the continuous growth (CG) system, the animals were fed concentrates plus hay and were slaughtered at 18 months of age. On the other hand, in the discontinuous growth (DG) system, the animals were fed hay until 15 months of age; the cattle were then fed the same diet provided to the CG group from 15 to 24 months of age. The DG reduced hot carcass weight, fatness and dressing %, but the proportions of fat, bone and muscle tissues in the leg were not affected. In contrast, there was a positive impact of compensatory growth on supraspinatus, triceps brachii, semitendinosus, biceps femoris muscle tenderness, overcoming the negative effects of age at slaughter. The reasons for such improvement in meat tenderness were not related to intra-muscular fat content or myofibrillar protein degradation values. An association between tenderness and muscle collagen properties was not established. The results indicate that the compensatory growth has a muscle-dependent effect.

Section: Carcass Traitssupporting

confidence: 85%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Repercussions of growth path on carcass characteristics, meat colour and shear force in Alentejana bulls

Simões

et al. 2015

Animal

“…Total collagen content has been found to be moderately associated with decreasing trained panel scores for tenderness, and this relationship has been demonstrated between different muscles and within a single muscle, that is, m. longissimus thoracis (Torrescano et al, 2003;Chriki et al, 2012). This is also true for insoluble collagen (Riley et al, 2005;Jurie et al, 2007).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 87%

“…This is also true for insoluble collagen (Riley et al, 2005;Jurie et al, 2007). Studies also indicate that age-related collagen cross-linking is an important determinant of insoluble collagen and therefore sensory tenderness (Bailey, 1985;Dransfield et al, 2003;Chriki et al, 2012). Chriki et al (2012) reported that the ratio of soluble to total collagen content was positively correlated to tenderness when evaluated by trained French panellists.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 90%

“…Studies also indicate that age-related collagen cross-linking is an important determinant of insoluble collagen and therefore sensory tenderness (Bailey, 1985;Dransfield et al, 2003;Chriki et al, 2012). Chriki et al (2012) reported that the ratio of soluble to total collagen content was positively correlated to tenderness when evaluated by trained French panellists. The more soluble collagen in comparison with insoluble collagen in beef the more tender the beef was scored by French trained taste pannelists.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Biochemical measurements of beef are a good predictor of untrained consumer sensory scores across muscles

Bonny

Gardner

Pethick

et al. 2015

Animal

The ability of the biochemical measurements, haem iron, intramuscular fat (IMF%), moisture content, and total, soluble and insoluble collagen contents, to predict untrained consumer sensory scores both across different muscles and within the same muscle from different carcasses were investigated. Sensory scores from 540 untrained French consumers (tenderness, flavour liking, juiciness and overall liking) were obtained for six muscles; outside (m. biceps femoris), topside (m. semimembranosus), striploin (m. longissimus thoracis), rump (m. gluteus medius), oyster blade (m. infraspinatus) and tenderloin (m. psoas major) from each of 18 French and 18 Australian cattle. The four sensory scores were weighted and combined into a single score termed MQ4, which was also analysed. All sensory scores were highly correlated with each other and with MQ4. This in part reflects the fact that MQ4 is derived from the consumer scores for tenderness, juiciness, flavour and overall liking and also reflects an interrelationship between the sensory scores themselves and in turn validates the use of the MQ4 term to reflect the scope of the consumer eating experience. When evaluated across the six different muscles, all biochemical measurements, except soluble collagen, had a significant effect on all of the sensory scores and MQ4. The average magnitude of impact of IMF%, haem iron, moisture content, total and insoluble collagen contents across the four different sensory scores are 34.9, 5.1, 7.2, 36.3 and 41.3, respectively. When evaluated within the same muscle, only IMF% and moisture content had a significant effect on overall liking (5.9 and 6.2, respectively) and flavour liking (6.1 and 6.4, respectively). These results indicate that in a commercial eating quality prediction model including muscle type, only IMF% or moisture content has the capacity to add any precision. However, all tested biochemical measurements, particularly IMF% and insoluble collagen contents, are strong predictors of eating quality when muscle type is not known. This demonstrates their potential usefulness in extrapolating the sensory data derived from these six muscles to other muscles with no sensory data, but with similar biochemical parameters, and therefore reducing the amount of future sensory testing required.

Assessment of cattle inter‐individual cluster variability: the potential of continuum data from the farm‐to‐fork for ultimate beef tenderness management

2019

Self Cite

BACKGROUND This study implemented a holistic approach based on the farm‐to‐fork data at the four levels of the continuum (farm – slaughterhouse – muscle – meat) to study the inter‐individual cluster variability of beef tenderness. For that, 171 young bulls were selected on a large database of 480 animals according to the industrial expectations based on animal and carcass characteristics. The targeted factors were age at slaughter (14; 20 months), carcass weight (370; 470 kg), EUROP conformation (7; 15) and fatness (2.5; 5) scores of the carcasses. Multivariate analyses and unsupervised learning tools were performed. RESULTS Principal component analysis combined to agglomerative hierarchical clustering allowed ten clusters to be identified that differed (P < 0.0001) for the four targeted factors. The clusters were further different for variables belonging to each level of the continuum. The results indicated an inter‐individual cluster variability rising in tenderness in link with the continuum data grouped according to industrial expectations. The associations of the whole variables of the continuum with tenderness were very important, but farm‐to‐fork continuum‐levels dependent. The findings showed that the variables contributing most to the inter‐individual cluster variability of tenderness seemed to be more related to the rearing practices, mainly feeding, and their consequences on carcass properties rather than to the muscle characteristics evaluated by enzyme metabolism and connective tissue. CONCLUSION It seems that considering the continuum data would allow possible trade‐off managements of tenderness to identify levers at different levels from the farm‐to‐meat. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry