The scope for manipulating the polyunsaturated fatty acid content of beef: a review

Abstract

Since 1950, links between intake of saturated fatty acids and heart disease have led to recommendations to limit consumption of saturated fatty acid-rich foods, including beef. Over this time, changes in food consumption patterns in several countries including Canada and the USA have not led to improvements in health. Instead, the incidence of obesity, type II diabetes and associated diseases have reached epidemic proportions owing in part to replacement of dietary fat with refined carbohydrates. Despite the content of saturated fatty acids in beef, it is also rich in heart healthy cis-monounsaturated fatty acids, and can be an important source of long-chain omega-3 (n-3) fatty acids in populations where little or no oily fish is consumed. Beef also contains polyunsaturated fatty acid biohydrogenation products, including vaccenic and rumenic acids, which have been shown to have anticarcinogenic and hypolipidemic properties in cell culture and animal models. Beef can be enriched with these beneficial fatty acids through manipulation of beef cattle diets, which is now more important than ever because of increasing public understanding of the relationships between diet and health. The present review examines recommendations for beef in human diets, the need to recognize the complex nature of beef fat, how cattle diets and management can alter the fatty acid composition of beef, and to what extent content claims are currently possible for beef fatty acids.

Effects of feeding steers extruded flaxseed on its own before hay or mixed with hay on animal performance, carcass quality, and meat and hamburger fatty acid composition

“…It now appears, however, that ALA may have a larger role to play in protecting against cardiovascular and other diseases than previously considered (Stark, Crawford, & Reifen, 2008). Feeding sources of ALA including fresh and conserved forage together with oilseeds have been found to enrich ALA in beef (Vahmani et al, 2015). Feeding oilseeds in diets with a high proportion of forage can also enrich beef with rumen biohydrogenation intermediates (BHI) derived from dietary polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA).…”

“…BHI such as t11-18:1 (vaccenic acid, VA) and c9,t11-18:2 (rumenic acid, RA) may also help protect against a number of diseases from cancer and inflammatory diseases to type II diabetes and post-menopausal osteoporosis (Benjamin & Spener, 2009;Field, Blewett, Proctor, & Vine, 2009). Considerable efforts have, therefore, gone into increasing n-3 fatty acids and PUFA-BHI in beef with variable success (Vahmani et al, 2015).…”

Fatty acid composition of beef steers as affected by diet and fat depot

“…Recently, growing consumer interest in healthy diets has triggered research to enrich beef with polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) and biohydrogenation products (BHP), particularly rumenic acid (cis 9, trans 11-18:2) and its precursor vaccenic acid (trans 11-18:1; Mapiye et al, 2012; which have potential human health benefits (Field et al, 2009;Dilzer et al, 2012). The proportions of these BHP in beef can be increased by feeding forages in combination with high levels of PUFA (Mapiye et al, 2012;Vahmani et al, 2015). However, feeding PUFA in high-forage diets results in lower growth rates, smaller carcasses and an undesirable meat appearance compared with high concentrate diets (Webb, 2006;Mapiye et al, 2013a).…”

“…In the past two decades, links between intake of trans fatty acids (FA) and saturated FA with heart disease have led to recommendations to limit their consumption in foods, including beef Nantapo et al, 2015;Vahmani et al, 2015). Recently, growing consumer interest in healthy diets has triggered research to enrich beef with polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) and biohydrogenation products (BHP), particularly rumenic acid (cis 9, trans 11-18:2) and its precursor vaccenic acid (trans 11-18:1; Mapiye et al, 2012; which have potential human health benefits (Field et al, 2009;Dilzer et al, 2012).…”

Palatability of Beef from Cattle Fed Extruded Flaxseed before Hay or Mixed with Hay

“…Hence, in addition to n-3 fatty acids, considerable efforts have been made to try and increase rumenic and vaccenic acids in beef, but often with limited success (Vahmani et al, 2015;Nassu et al, 2011;Kronberg et al, 2006).…”