Carcass characteristics and sensorial evaluation of meat from Nellore steers and crossbred Angus vs. Nellore bulls

Barcellos, Vinicius Cunha; Mottin, Camila; Passetti, Rodrigo Augusto Cortez; Guerrero, Ana; Eiras, Carlos Emanuel; Prohman, Paulo Emílio; Vital, Ana Carolina Pelaes; Prado, Ivanor Nunes do

doi:10.4025/actascianimsci.v39i4.36692

ABSTRACT.

This study evaluated animal performance, carcass characteristics and meat quality of 36-month old Nellore steers finished in pastures (n = 10) and 20-month old Angus vs. Nellore bulls finished in feedlot (n = 10). Final body weight, carcass weight, characteristics, conformation and fat thickness, were higher (p < 0.001) for the Nellore steers than for Angus vs. Nellore bulls. Water losses during chilling (24 hours, 4^oC) were lower (p < 0.05) for Nellore steers than for the Angus vs. Nellore bulls. Muscle percentage on the 6^th rib was higher (p < 0.05) for the Nellore steers than for Angus vs. Nellore bulls; while bone percentage was lower (p < 0.05) for Nellore steers. After 7 and 14 days of ageing, the L* meat value was higher for the Nellore steers than for the Angus vs. Nellore bulls; the L* meat value was similar (p > 0.05) throughout the ageing period for the Angus vs. Nellore bulls, but higher in meat from the Nellore steers (p < 0.05). Genetic group had no effect (p > 0.05) on meat a* value (redness). Likewise, ageing time had no effect on a* in both genetic groups, and genetic group had no effect (p > 0.05) on meat b* value (yellowness). On the other hand, b* was increased after day 7 of ageing for the bulls from the two genetic groups. Thawing and cooking losses were lower for Nellore steers after day 7 of aging (p < 0.05). The meat of the Angus vs. Nellore bulls was more tender (p < 0.05) at all ageing times studied (1, 4, 7 and 14 days) than the meat of the Nellore steers. Genetic group had no effect (p > 0.05) on lipid oxidation; however, lipid oxidation increased after day7. Meat from Nellore steers contained a higher percentage of saturated fatty acids (SFA), a lower percentage of unsaturated (UFA) and monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) and a similar percentage of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) than the meat from Angus vs. Nellore bulls. Intramuscular fat from Nellore steers had a more favourable n-6:n-3 fatty acid ratio than that from Angus vs. Nellore bulls (4.37 vs. 11.45, respectively). Tenderness, flavour and overall acceptability were higher (p < 0.001) for meats of the Nellore steers, regardless of ageing time (1, 4, 7 and 14 days).

Keywords:
Brazil; consumer acceptability; fattening system; genetic groups; meat quality; sexual class

[1] *Author for correspondence. E-mail: racpassetti@gmail.com

Parameters	Genetic groups		SEM*	P < Value
Parameters	Nel.	Ang. vs. Nel.	SEM*	P < Value
Final weight, kg	578.4	470.8	16.14	0.001
Cold carcass weight, kg	314.0	258.9	8.47	0.001
Cold dressing carcass, %	54.28	55.00	0.09	0.001
Chilling loss, %	1.37	1.66	0.03	0.001
Carcass length, cm	131.8	141.4	1.69	0.002
Leg length, cm	82.1	82.8	0.53	0.529
Cushion thickness, cm	113.8	118.1	0.93	0.018
Conformation, points	17.82	10.26	0.29	0.001
Fattening, points	4.60	2.50	0.27	0.001
Muscle, %	65.0	59.2	0.87	0.001
Fat, %	17.87	18.87	0.68	0.484
Bone, %	11.05	17.73	0.91	0.001
Others, %	4.09	4.16	0.42	0.210
pH_24h	5.61	5.64	0.03	0.665
Fat thickness, mm	8.31	5.45	0.72	0.044
Marbling, points	5.82	5.12	0.15	0.105
Longissimus muscle, cm²	50.6	45.4	2.66	0.343

Days	Genetic groups		SEM*	p < Value
Days	Nellore	Ang.x Nel.	SEM*	p < Value
		L*
1	37.07^A	37.59^A	0.44	0.573
4	39.12^AB	37.74^A	0.45	0.131
7	41.63^B	41.66^B	0.50	0.098
14	38.79^A	40.88^B	0.54	0.092
SEM	0.43	0.47
p < Value	0.001	0.004
		a*
1	14.58^A	13.30^A	0.42	0.140
4	14.43^A	14.14^A	0.18	0.447
7	12.88^B	11.31^B	0.29	0.583
14	14.81^A	13.20^A	0.29	0.382
SEM	0.22	0.26
p < Value	0.019	0.010
		b*
1	12.87^A	11.83^A	0.29	0.074
4	12.94^A	12.07^A	0.25	0.093
7	15.44^B	15.11^B	0.36	0.264
14	15.00^B	15.83^B	0.28	0.190
SEM	0.27	0.33
p < Value	0.001	0.001

Days	Genetic groups		SEM	p < Value
Days	Nel.	Ang. vs. Nel.	SEM	p < Value
		Thawing loss, %
1	7.84^B	6.73	0.48	0.260
4	8.12^B	7.48	0.27	0.259
7	5.01^A	7.41	0.42	0.002
14	5.77^A	8.57	0.45	0.001
SEM	0.28	0.30
p < Value	0.001	0.155
		Cooking loss, %
1	24.09	29.01	1.29	0.054
4	27.40	25.71	0.69	0.232
7	24.21	27.82	0.69	0.006
14	23.21	29.80	1.09	0.001
SEM	0.64	0.61
p < Value	0.096	0.079
		WBSF, kg
1	6.21^A	4.94^A	0.37	0.091
4	5.30^A	4.10^B	0.27	0.021
7	4.98^A	3.67^BC	0.27	0.013
14	4.26^B	3.30^C	0.26	0.073
SEM	0.27	0.13
p < Value	0.001	0.001
		TBARS, MDA
1	0.1345^A	0.1733^A	0.01	0.239
4	0.1454^A	0.1614^A	0.01	0.439
7	0.5558^B	0.6789^C	0.02	0.007
14	0.5633^B	0.5444^B	0.01	0.610
SEM	0.03	0.03
p < Value	0.001	0.601

Parameters	Genetic groups		SEM*	P < Value
Parameters	Nel.	Ang. vs. Nel.	SEM*	P < Value
Moisture, %	72.47	72.41	0.12	0.807
Ash, %	1.19	1.17	0.01	0.461
Protein, %	22.06	22.66	0.09	0.432
Total lipids, %	4.25	4.15	0.14	0.744
Collagen, mg g of protein	1.52	1.53	0.02	0.989

Fatty acids		Genetic groups		SEM*	P < Value
Fatty acids		Nel..	Ang. vs. Nel.	SEM*	P < Value
Saturated
14:0	Myristic	2.95	3.36	0.12	0.105
15:0	Pentadecilic	0.49	0.31	0.03	0.001
16:0	Palmitic	26.8	26.7	0.39	0.935
17:0	Margaric	0.97	0.86	0.02	0.002
18:0	Stearic	20.0	16.6	0.76	0.013
20:0	Eicosanoic	0.76	0.58	0.07	0.238
24:0	Tetracosanoic	0.04	0.07	0.01	0.043
Monounsaturated
14:1n-9	Tetradecenoic	1.00	0.95	0.02	0.933
15:1	Pentadecanoic	0.92	0.64	0.09	0.015
16:1n-7	Palmitoleic	2.83	2.96	0.09	0.535
17:1n-9	Heptadecenoic	1.18	0.99	0.07	0.186
18:1n-9t	Trans-octadecenoic	1.81	2.65	0.17	0.009
18:1n-9c	Oleic	33.5	36.2	0.65	0.032
18:1n-7	Octadecenoic	0.38	1.10	0.12	0.001
20:1n-9	9 - eicosenoic	0.25	0.26	0.05	0.972
24:1n-9	15-Tetracosenoic	0.45	0.16	0.06	0.009
Polyunsaturated
16:2n-6	Hexadecadienoic	0.50	0.64	0.02	0.001
18:2n-6	Linoleic	3.23	3.96	0.21	0.092
18:3n-6	Linolenic	0.11	0.08	0.01	0.463
18:3n-3	α - Linoleic	0.54	0.27	0.10	0.025
20:2n-6	11, 14 - Eicosenoic	0.14	0.03	0.02	0.021
20:3n-3	Eicosatrienoic	0.17	0.11	0.01	0.047
20:4n-6 (AA)	Arachdonic	0.59	0.51	0.05	0.509
20:5n-3 (EPA)	Eicosapentaenoic	0.29	0.06	0.05	0.016
22:6n-3 (DHA)	Docosahexaenoic	0.07	0.02	0.01	0.028
Saturated	SFA	52.0	48.4	0.86	0.030
Unsaturated	UFA	48.0	51.60	0.92	0.030
Monounsaturated	MUFA	42.4	45.9	0.77	0.012
Polyunsaturated	PUFA	5.64	5.68	0.22	0.925
n-6		4.57	5.22	0.24	0.210
n-3		1.07	0.46	0.13	0.009
n-6:n-3		4.27	11.35	1.26	0.004
PUFA:MUFA		0.12	0.12	0.01	0.351

Brasil

Brasil

Carcass characteristics and sensorial evaluation of meat from Nellore steers and crossbred Angus vs. Nellore bulls

Características de carcaça e avaliação sensorial da carne de novilhos Nelore e touros cruzados Angus vs. Nelore

ABSTRACT.

	Attributes
Days	Cluster 1			Cluster 2			Cluster 3			Cluster 4
	Nel.	Ang vs. Nel.	p < Value	Nel.	Ang. vs. Nel.	p < Value	Nel.	Ang. vs. Nel.	p < Value	Nel.	Ang vs. Nel	p < Value
1	5.29C	4.88C	0.05	6.35C	5.97C	0.06	6.89B	2.00C	0.03	7.98AB	7.81B	0.04
4	7.59AB	3.65D	0.05	6.52ABC	6.26BC	0.07	7.22AB	7.22B	0.03	8.37A	8.09AB	0.05
7	6.59B	6.59B	0.04	6.65ABC	6.06C	0.05	8.22A	7.89A	0.04	8.44A	8.07AB	0.06
14	8.18A	5.18C	0.05	6.94AB	7.26A	0.04	8.11A	8.00A	0.05	8.37A	8.30A	0.06
SEM*	0.06	0.04		0.04	0.06		0.04	0.05		0.05	0.06
p < Value	0.001	0.001		0.001	0.001		0.001	0.001		0.001	0.001