Effect of two Spanish breeds and diet on beef quality including consumer preferences

• Published in: Journal of the science of food and agriculture Vol. 94; no. 5; pp. 983 - 992
• Main Authors: Ripoll, Guillermo, Blanco, Mireia, Albertí, Pere, Panea, Begoña, Joy, Margalida, Casasús, Isabel
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Chichester, UK John Wiley & Sons, Ltd 30-03-2014; John Wiley and Sons, Limited
• Subjects: Adipose Tissue, White - growth & development; Adipose Tissue, White - metabolism; Adult; alfalfa; Animal Husbandry - methods; Animals; Back Muscles - growth & development; Back Muscles - metabolism; Beef; beef quality; breeds; carcass characteristics; Carcasses; Cattle; color; Consumer Behavior; consumer preferences; consumers; corn; Diet; Diet - veterinary; Dietary Fats - analysis; Dietary supplements; Diets; dressing percentage; energy; Energy Intake; farmers; Farming; fatty acid composition; Fatty acids; Female; Finishing; Food Quality; Food science; forage; Foraging behavior; grazing; Humans; intramuscular fat; Male; meadows; Meat; Meat - analysis; meat composition; Meat quality; Meat-Packing Industry - methods; Middle Aged; Mountains; Pigmentation; Rations; Sensation; shear force; Shear Strength; Spain; Species Specificity; steers; straw; tenderness; total mixed rations; Spain; tenderness; consumers; alfalfa; shear force; color; fatty acids
• ISSN: 0022-5142; 1097-0010
• DOI: 10.1002/jsfa.6348

BACKGROUND: Farmers in dry mountain areas are changing their management strategies to improve livestock farming efficiency, by using different forages or different breeds. The effect of breed (Parda de Montaña vs. Pirenaica) and finishing diet (grazing on meadows vs. a total mixed ration (50% alfalfa, 40% maize grain, 10% straw)) on carcass characteristics and meat quality of steers was studied. RESULTS: Parda de Montaña had a greater (P < 0.01) amount of intramuscular fat than Pirenaica. The finishing diet did not influence carcass fat color, but fatty acid composition was slightly affected. Finishing steers on a total mixed ration increased the percentage of fat of the 10th rib (P < 0.001). Supplementation with concentrates increased the diet energy concentration and also increased the dressing percentage. CONCLUSIONS: Both breeds had similar carcass characteristics. Consumers preferred beef from the Pirenaica breed because of its greater tenderness. Consumers did not differentiate between beef from animals fed different finishing diets. However, consumers who like meat very much preferred meat aged in a cooler at 4 °C for 15 days rather than 8 days. © 2013 Society of Chemical Industry