Effect of finishing cattle with fodder beet on cutability and subprimal yield of beef steer carcasses in New Zealand

Effect of finishing cattle with fodder beet on cutability and subprimal yield of beef steer carcasses in New Zealand

Abstracts 119 in muscle colour and sensory characteristics due to incorporating grass forage are unlikely to be relevant to the consumer. heavier l...

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Abstracts

119

in muscle colour and sensory characteristics due to incorporating grass forage are unlikely to be relevant to the consumer.

heavier live weights prior to harvest could potentially increase yield on a weight basis, as well.

Keywords: Bulls, Maturity, Colour, Sensory characteristics

Keywords: Beef, Fodder Beet, Grass Fed

doi:10.1016/j.meatsci.2015.08.045

doi:10.1016/j.meatsci.2015.08.046

Environment, Production Systems

Environment, Production Systems

21 Effect of finishing cattle with fodder beet on cutability and subprimal yield of beef steer carcasses in New Zealand J.E. Johnston⁎, A.J. Garmyn, R.J. Rathmann, J.C. Brooks, M.F. Miller, Animal Science, TX Tech University, Lubbock, United States

22 Impacts of finishing system (New Zealand grass, New Zealand fodder beet, or US grain) on consumer perception of top loin eating quality following 21 or 35 d of postmortem aging A.J. Garmyna,⁎, R.J. Polkinghorneb, R.J. Rathmanna, J.C. Brooksa, M.F. Millera, aTexas Tech University, Lubbock, United States, bMerringanee, Murrurundi, Australia

Objectives: Traditionally the beef harvest numbers and the quality of cattle decline through the winter months (June-September) in New Zealand because of weather related availability of forage for grazing. Therefore, beef researchers have investigated the implementation of a feeding system utilizing fodder beet to finish beef steers. Fodder beet may provide a grazing alternative to allow more beef cattle to be finished through the winter months to maintain the beef supply. Materials and Methods: Carcass sides (n = 493) were fabricated and weights were recorded for closely trimmed subprimals, lean trimmings, fat, and waste (bone) to determine if finishing steers (n = 281) with fodder beet (FB) the final 70-100 days before slaughter or with traditional winter forage finishing steers (n = 212) without FB (NFB) during the same time frame impacted meat weight and yield. Cattle, representing multiple production systems, were harvested from mid-July to October, 2014 at a commercial beef processing facility in the South Island of New Zealand. Carcasses were selected each day to represent a range of carcass weights within each treatment and fat cover within the grades or programs being fabricated for the day. Subprimals were monitored through trays equipped with RFID trackers and weights were captured electronically. Data were analyzed using the GLIMMIX procedure of SAS with finishing diet as fixed effect. Results: Hot carcass side weight (HSW) was 3 kg heavier (P b 0.01) for NFB than FB; thus HSW was used to calculate yield of subprimal cuts (as a percentage of HSW) for treatment comparisons. No differences were observed (P N 0.05) in carcass traits that would impact yield (rib fat, adjusted rib fat, or ribeye area). NFB carcasses produced 3.4 kg more total red meat than FB; however, total red meat yield (77.7% vs 77.4%) and total subprimal yield (55.9% vs 55.4%) was greater (P b 0.05) for FB than NFB carcasses, respectively. Differences in total red meat and subprimal yield are attributed primarily to cuts within the forequarter. Most notably, Ribeye (cube) roll (3.4 vs 3.3%), chuck roll (4.9 vs 4.6%), and clod (6.5 vs 6.3%) had greater (P b 0.01) yield (on a percentage of HSW basis) from FB carcasses compared to NFB. NFB carcasses had an advantage in yield for top sirloin butt (D-rump; +0.04%) compared to FB, but FB carcasses had greater (P b 0.01) tenderloin yield (+0.04%) than NFB. No differences in yield were observed for any other major hindquarter subprimals (topside/inside, outside flat, knuckle, or strip loin) when adjusting weights as a percentage HSW. However, FB carcasses offered a minor yield advantage (+0.02 to 0.03) compared to NFB in smaller subprimals, such eye of round, tri tip, inside skirt, and chuck tender, while flap meat was greater (+0.03%) for NFB than FB sides (P b 0.01). Conclusion: Fodder beet grazing could be used as an alternative finishing crop during the winter months to increase the quality of beef produced. However, more research is needed to determine differences in subprimal weights between finishing diets at similar end-point carcass weights. Finishing cattle with fodder beet improved the saleable (total red meat) and subprimal yield on a percentage basis, more notably in the forequarter, but taking cattle to

Objectives: Due to advancements in New Zealand beef carcass grading, a branded program based on eating quality has recently emerged. As demand grows, the use of alternative finishing systems has been explored to supply beef cattle during winter months, when historically, cattle numbers and beef quality taper off due to limited grass supply. Due to the growing popularity of wintering dairy heifers on fodder beet (FB), beef researchers have adapted and tailored this feeding system to finish beef cattle to help meet the demand for high quality beef in New Zealand. The purpose of this portion of the study was to determine how consumers perceived beef from cattle finished on fodder beet the final 70-100 d before slaughter compared to traditional grass finishing and US grain finished cattle. Materials and Methods: Within each finishing system, strip loins representing expected low and high eating quality (based on marbling and other quality parameters) were selected resulting in the following 6 treatments: fodder beet low quality (FBL), FB high quality (FBH), non FB low quality (NFBL), non FB high quality (NFBH), USDA Select (SEL), Top (upper 2/3) Choice (TC). Prior to 21 d postmortem, strip loins were fabricated into 2.5-cm steaks for use in consumer testing. All steaks were vacuum packaged and frozen (-10C) at 21 or 35 d postmortem. A latin square design was utilized to balance the order and presentation of the 6 treatments aged either 21 or 35 d. Steaks were cooked on a clamshell grill to a medium degree doneness and were served to consumers following a 3-min resting period. Consumers (n = 240) scored palatability traits (tenderness, juiciness, flavor liking, and overall liking) on 100-mm line scales verbally anchored at 0 (not tender, not juicy, dislike extremely) and 100 (very tender, very juicy, like extremely). Data were analyzed using the GLIMMIX procedure of SAS with treatment, aging period, and their interaction as the fixed effects. PROC CORR was used to examine relationships between palatability traits. Results: No two-way interactions were observed (P N 0.05) for any palatability traits. Consumers scored steaks aged 35 d greater for tenderness, flavor liking, and overall liking compared to steaks aged 21 d (P b 0.05), while juiciness was not impacted by aging or finishing diet (P N 0.05). Top choice and FBH were considered more tender (P b 0.05) than NFBL or SEL. Select flavor was less liked (P b 0.05) than any other treatment, regardless of postmortem aging. Overall, consumers liked TC, FBH, and NFBH more (P b 0.05) than SEL. Consumer overall liking was most strongly correlated to flavor liking (r = 0.92; P b 0.01), but showed compelling relationships with both tenderness (r = 0.81) and juiciness (r = 0.72) as well (P b 0.01). Conclusion: Extending postmortem aging by 14 d improved eating quality scores due to greater tenderness, flavor, and overall liking. Juiciness was not impacted by postmortem aging or finishing diet. For each of the other palatability traits, SEL was scored less favorably than the other treatments, particularly TC. Interestingly, consumers did not discriminate between finishing systems, scoring