Access to this article is restricted until 12 months after publication at the request of the publisher. Restriction lift date: 2017-11-29
Effect of a grazing period prior to finishing on a high concentrate diet on meat quality from bulls and steers
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Accepted version
Date
2016-11-29
Authors
Moran, L.
O'Sullivan, Maurice G.
Kerry, Joseph P.
Picard, B.
McGee, M.
O'Riordan, E. G.
Moloney, A. P.
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Elsevier
Published Version
Abstract
Bulls and steers (n = 60) were assigned to a pre-finishing grazing period and subsequently finished on concentrates or offered concentrates without grazing until slaughter (19 months). Colour and pH of longissimus thoracis were measured (48 h post-slaughter), and samples collected for proximate composition, collagen, sarcomere length, muscle fibre and enzymatic profile analysis. Steaks for texture, cook loss and sensory were aged (14 days). Castration increased intramuscular fat content, cook loss and myosin isoforms IIa and I proportions, and decreased IIx proportion (P < 0.05). Steer meat was positively correlated to overall tenderness, texture and acceptability (P < 0.05). The presence of a pre-finishing grazing period decreased intramuscular fat and increased the proportion of IIa compared with animals on concentrates, while no differences were found in sensory. Muscle colour, collagen, sarcomere length and instrumental texture were not modified by diet or castration. In conclusion, beef sensory characteristics were unaffected by diet, whereas castration resulted in a small improvement; however all the treatments produced an acceptable product.
Description
Keywords
Castration , Grazing period , Tenderness , Muscle fibre profile
Citation
Moran, L., O'Sullivan, M. G., Kerry, J. P., Picard, B., McGee, M., O'Riordan, E. G. and Moloney, A. P. (2017) 'Effect of a grazing period prior to finishing on a high concentrate diet on meat quality from bulls and steers', Meat Science, 125, pp. 76-83. doi:10.1016/j.meatsci.2016.11.021