Relationships Between Cull Beef Cow Characteristics, Finishing Practices and Meat Quality Traits of Longissimus thoracis and Rectus abdominis

Abstract

The aim of study was to investigate the relationships between the characteristics of cull beef cows in the Rouge des Prés breed, finishing practices and physicochemical characteristics and sensory traits of Longissimus thoracis (LT) and Rectus abdominis (RA) muscles from 111 cows. On the basis of our surveys, which qualify at cow level the animal characteristics and finishing diet, clusters of cull cows and finishing practices are created and their effects tested on LT and RA meat quality. Old and heavy cows with good suckling ability (95 months, 466 kg and 7.1/10) are characterized by LT with larger fibers, and higher intramuscular fat content and fat-to-muscle ratio. Young and heavy cows with low suckling ability (54 months, 474 kg and 4.4/10) are characterized by LT and RA with lower MyHC IIx and higher MyHC IIa and MyHC I proportions. MyHC IIx and IIa proportions are lower and a* and b* color indices higher when cows are finished on pasture, probably related to grass diet and physical activity. The fat-to-muscle ratio is higher without any effect on the intramuscular fat content when cows are finished over a short period (107 days) with a high level of concentrate (9.7 kg/day). The opposite effect is observed over a long period (142 days) with a low level of concentrate (5.8 kg/day), confirming the interaction effect between finishing duration and amount of energy concentrate on the allotment of adipose tissue deposit.

Contribution of connective tissue components, muscle fibres and marbling to beef tenderness variability in longissimus thoracis, rectus abdominis, semimembranosus and semitendinosus muscles

“…Although many study groups have investigated the relationship between the composition of connective tissue in TCol, ICol, CLs and meat tenderness, the conclusions made have not been clearly established . This is for several reasons, including the large variability of tenderness within muscles, time of ageing and cooking method, as well as the rearing practices of the animals . Overall, the studies did not always specify the location of sampling within the muscle, which is very important, nor the exact conditions of ageing and the method or conditions of cooking.…”

“…4,36,37 This is for several reasons, including the large variability of tenderness within muscles, time of ageing and cooking method, as well as the rearing practices of the animals. 13,38 Overall, the studies did not always specify the location of sampling within the muscle, which is very important, 39 nor the exact conditions of ageing and the method or conditions of cooking. When these factors are specified, the cooking and ageing conditions vary so much from one study to another that it is difficult to compare the results.…”

Current Advances in Meat Nutritional, Sensory and Physical Quality Improvement

“…It seems from the main results that the whole life period of the animals has no effect on tenderness (sensory or rheological analyses) of the rib muscles. The findings of these two studies by Soulat et al [5,6] together with those of Couvreur et al [4] demonstrate that it is possible to obtain similar meat qualities with different rearing managements. The fifth study is by Cafferky et al [7] and it investigates, on a big cattle database at industrial scale of crossbred bull and steer progeny, the effect of breed (eight beef sire breeds representative of the Irish herd: Aberdeen Angus, Belgian Blue, Charolais, Hereford, Limousin, Parthenaise, Salers and Simmental) and gender on meat quality traits (Warner-Bratzler shear force (WBSF), intramuscular fat (IMF%), cook-loss%, drip-loss%, colour (L*, a*, b*) and ultimate pH) of Longissimus thoracis et lumborum (LTL) muscle.…”

“…In the first topic dealing with production systems and rearing practices and their relationships with carcass and meat qualities, almost six papers can be categorized [3][4][5][6][7][8]. The first study by Moran et al [3] compares the quality of beef from bulls slaughtered at 15 months of age and reared in typical Irish indoor production systems with those raised in novel grass-based systems.…”

“…It is worthwhile to note that the beef-eating quality of grass-fed animals was not detrimentally affected. The second study is by Couvreur et al [4], which has been performed on the protected designation of origin (PDO) Maine-Anjou cull cows. The authors investigate the relationships among the characteristics of cull beef cows, rearing practices and physicochemical characteristics and sensory traits of two differing muscles, Longissimus thoracis (LT) and Rectus abdominis (RA).…”