Comparison of alternative beef production systems based on forage finishing or grain-forage diets with or without growth promotants: 2. Meat quality, fatty acid composition, and overall palatability

Abstract

Five beef cattle management regimens were evaluated for their effect on meat quality, fatty acid composition, and overall palatability of the longis-simus dorsi (LD) muscle in Angus cross steers. A 98-d growing phase was conducted using grass silage with or without supplementation of growth promotants (Revalor G and Rumensin) or soybean meal. Dietary treatments in the finishing phase were developed with or without supplementation of growth promotants based on exclusive feeding of forages with no grain supplementation, or the feeding of grain:forage (70:30) diets. Growth promotants increased (P < 0.01) shear force and tended (P = 0.06) to increase toughness of the LD muscle due to limited postmortem proteolytic activity (lower myofibrillar fragmentation index value; P = 0.02). Grain feeding increased DM and intramuscular fat content (P = 0.03 and P = 0.05, respectively) in the LD but decreased the sensory panel tenderness score (P = 0.01). Growth promotants increased (P </= 0.05) the proportion of C18:0, C20:0, trans isomers of C18:1, and cis-9, trans-11 C18:2. Exclusive feeding of forages increased the proportion of cis-9, cis-12, cis-15 C18:3 as well as several other isomers of the n-3 family and decreased in the ratio of n-6 to n-3 fatty acids in the LD muscle as compared with supplementing grain (P < 0.05). In addition, the forage-based diet increased (P < 0.01) the concentration in the intramuscular fat of several intermediates (cis-9, trans-11, cis-15 C18:3; trans-11, cis-15 C18:2; trans-11 C18:1) of ruminal biohydrogenation. Forage feeding also increased the proportion of cis-9, trans-11 C18:2 (P < 0.01) and decreased the concentration of trans-10 C18:1 in the LD muscle (P = 0.03). It is concluded that quality demands of health-conscious consumers can be met through a forage-finishing and growth promotants-free beef production system.

Effects of dietary total non-structural carbohydrates and folic acid and vitamin B12 supplement on growth and meat quality of yearling steers in a forage-based beef production system

“…(1 as compared with 539 and 447 mg 100 g (1 reported by Faucitano et al (2008Faucitano et al ( , 2011. However, the proportion of soluble collagen was greater (15%) than values of 10 and 9% reported by Faucitano et al (2008Faucitano et al ( , 2001.…”

“…However, the proportion of soluble collagen was greater (15%) than values of 10 and 9% reported by Faucitano et al (2008Faucitano et al ( , 2001. Shear force values for LL muscles from calves born from vitamin-injected dams tended to be lower (more tender) (P 00.06) than LL muscles from calves born from unsupplemented dams ( Table 4).…”

Effect of growth-promoting technologies on Longissimus lumborum muscle fiber morphometrics, collagen solubility, and cooked meat tenderness12

“…In the current study, treatment did not affect any collagen measures. Calkins et al (1986) and Faucitano et al (2008) reported no implant effect on total or soluble collagen content and percent soluble collagen. Huck et al (1991) also found collagen solubility was unaffected when more aggressive implants were administered to steers.…”

Diet and Genotype Effects on n-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids of Beef Lipids

“…In addition, Alfaia et al (2006) found differences in LA between meat from bullocks reared in a semi-intensive system and that from bullocks produced in a conventional intensive concentrate-based system. On the other hand, Faucitano et al (2008) found that cattle fed high concentrate diets showed a significantly decreased the proportion of ALA in Longissimus dorsi muscle lipids. Lee et al (2009) studied the effects of diets with grass or red clover silage on the proportions of LA and ALA in Longissimus dorsi muscle in dairy cull cows and found that red clover silage increased the percentages of LA and ALA. Herdman et al (2010) studied the effects of two diets, one rich in LA and the other rich in ALA and found that both affected the fatty acid composition of the lipid classes in the IMF of German Simmental bulls.…”