Impact of calving seasons and feeding systems in western Canada. II. Meat composition and organoleptic quality of steaks

Abstract

Durunna, O. N., Block, H. C., Iwaasa, A. D., Scott, S. L., Robins, C., Khakbazan, M., Dugan, M. E. R., Aalhus, J. L., Aliani, M. and Lardner, H. A. 2014. Impact of calving seasons and feeding systems in western Canada. II. Meat composition and organoleptic quality of steaks. Can. J. Anim. Sci. 94: 583–593. Fatty acid profiling, meat and organoleptic quality assessments were conducted on 160 carcasses of crossbred steers born into one of two calving systems and later assigned to one of two postweaning feeding systems. The steers were weaned from either an early calving or late calving system and later assigned to either a rapid-gain feeding (RF) or a slow-gain feeding (SF) system. The RF steers received a silage–hay diet during the backgrounding period prior to finishing, while the SF steers received a hay diet at backgrounding and then grazed alfalfa–meadow bromegrass pasture and annual cereal swaths prior to finishing. All treatment groups received a conventional diet during finishing until the steers attained a target backfat thickness or body weight. Fatty acid analyses were conducted on longissimus dorsi muscle (LDM) and subcutaneous fat samples. Other analyses included LDM composition, tenderness and taste panel evaluations. Total saturated fatty acid was greater (P<0.02) in samples from RF steers, while total monounsaturated fatty acid was greater (P<0.01) in SF steers. The SF steers had greater (P<0.01) conjugated linoleic acid concentration. There was no main or interaction effect (P>0.05) on beef aroma, flavour and tenderness but the SF steaks had lower (P=0.02) cooking losses than RF steaks. The SF strategy has the potential to create a value chain that would lead to finished steers with higher backfat omega-3, conjugated linoleic acid and trans vaccenic acid and less cooking moisture losses.

Preliminary Study to Determinate the Effect of the Rearing Managements Applied during Heifers’ Whole Life on Carcass and Flank Steak Quality

“…Our results also match the results of Durunna et al [ 66 ] obtained on LM in steers. They showed that modifications of the rearing managements during the growth period did not seem to have an impact on sensory properties or on meat color.…”