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This study evaluated visible and near-infrared spectroscopy (Vis-NIRS) to authenticate barley-finished beef using different discrimination approaches. Dietary grain source (barley, corn, or blend-50% barley/50% corn) did not affect (P 0.05) meat quality but influenced (P 0.05) fatty acid profiles. The longissimus thoracis (LT) from barley-fed steers had lower n-6 fatty acid content and n-6/n-3 ratio compared to LT from corn and blended grain-fed steers. Vis-NIRS coupled with partial least square discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) and support vector machine in the linear (L-SVM) kernel classified with approximately 70% overall accuracy subcutaneous fat and intact LT samples, respectively, from barley, corn, and blended-fed cattle. When only barley and corn samples were considered, fat and intact LT samples were correctly classified with overall accuracy94% with PLS-DA and radial/L-SVM, and approximately 90% with PLS-DA and L-SVM, respectively. Ground LT samples were classified with ≤70% overall accuracy. Vis-NIRS measurements on fat and intact LT have potential to discriminate between corn and barley-fed beef.

This study examined if different color intensities of dark-cutting beef carcasses (Dark B4/Moderate B4) were similar in quality to normal (N) carcasses of a lower marbling score. The eating quality from abnormal (AB) dark-cutting carcasses (normal pH) was also evaluated to determine if AB should receive the same penalty as classic (CL) dark-cutting carcasses in the Canadian grading system. B4-grade carcasses, regardless of dark color intensity, exhibited increased toughness and greater off-flavor than N carcasses of a lower marbling score. Additionally, AB and borderline (BD) carcasses were tougher than N. The CL dark cutters, albeit similar in tenderness to N carcasses, had greater off-flavor and less beef flavor intensity. Downgrading B4 carcasses one quality grade based on the marbling score, with no further carcass demerits, is likely not sufficient, and further devaluations of dark cutters may be warranted. As well, AB and BD carcasses were of lower quality compared to N carcasses and, therefore, deserve some economic penalty.

Carcass attributes of steers were examined for influences of selection for residual feed intake (RFI), and exposure to different levels of prenatal nutrition. Heifers characterized for RFI corrected for backfat were mated to bulls with genetic potential for either High-RFI or Low-RFI, such that the progeny were expected to be H/H or L/L RFI (sire/dam). Pregnant heifers were assigned to a low diet (Ldiet; 0.40 kg/d ADG), or moderate diet (Mdiet; 0.57 kg/d ADG), from 30 to 150 days of gestation, after which all heifers were managed similarly. Steer offspring (n = 23) were also managed similarly until slaughter. Dressing percentage of steers from H-RFI dams/sires exposed to Ldiet during gestation was lower than all other groups (P = 0.02). Marbling was greater for steers from H-RFI parents, as was fat content of longissimus thoracis et lumborum and triceps brachii (P ≤ 0.02). Results suggest that parental selection for RFI and prenatal maternal diet can influence carcass characteristics of progeny.

The objective of the present experiment was to determine if carcass quality and fatty acid profiles of longissimus thoracis (LT) and hamburger would be affected by feeding steers extruded flaxseed on its own followed by hay (non-TMR) compared to when hay and extruded flaxseed were fed together (TMR). Forty-eight steers in six pens were assigned to TMR or non-TMR for an average of 242 days. Dry matter intake was lower for non-TMR versus TMR steers (10.56 vs. 11.42 kg/d; P = 0.02), but final live weight (610 ± 0.50 kg) and average daily gain (1.18 ± 0.02 kg/d) did not differ. Compared to TMR, feeding non-TMR enriched LT and hamburger with α-linolenic acid (ALA; 18:3n-3) by 14%, vaccenic acid (VA; t 11–18:1) by 44%, rumenic acid (RA; c 9, t 11–18:2) by 40%, and conjugated linolenic acid (CLnA) by 58%. Overall, feeding extruded flaxseed separately from hay in a non-TMR was more effective at enhancing deposition of ALA, VA, RA and CLnA in beef.

Dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) was evaluated for its accuracy in predicting total lean, fat and bone in beef carcass sides and primal cuts. Left carcass sides (n = 316) were broken down into primal cuts, scanned using DXA and then dissected to fat, lean and bone. The DXA estimates for bone, lean and fat from the primals (n = 237) were used to calibrate partial least squares regression (PLSR) models for predicting tissue weights. Models were validated using 79 additional carcass sides, which were broken into primals, scanned using DXA, and subsequently dissected to fat, lean and bone. Models were highly accurate for predicting tissue weights for the entire carcass side (lean R2 = 0.991, fat R2 = 0.985 and bone R2 = 0.941) and within most primal cuts. Results suggest DXA technology can be utilized to accurately predict carcass tissue composition for whole carcass sides and within most primals.

Pork bellies (n = 198) were scanned with dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). Visible and near-infrared reflectance (Vis-NIR) spectra were collected from the lean (latissimus dorsi), subcutaneous fat and intermuscular fat layers. Belly-flop angle and subjective belly scores were collected as measures of pork belly softness. Vis-NIR spectra from a single fat layer could explain between 72.7 and 81.1% of the variation in pork belly softness (43.6–72.4% in validation set). The combination of the lean and subcutaneous layers improved the calibration model fit to 79.7–99.9% (66.3–71.5% in validation set). The DXA estimates explained 62.3% of variation in pork belly softness (65.2% in validation set). Results indicated that DXA and NIR technologies could potentially be utilized for pork belly softness sorting in the pork industry.

This study tested the ability of visible and near infrared spectroscopy (Vis-NIRS) to discriminate enhanced quality pork. Vis-NIR spectra were collected on intact chops from 148 pork carcasses using a portable LabSpec®4 spectrometer (350–2500 nm). Partial least squares discriminant analyses based on Vis-NIR spectra correctly classified 94, 95 and 100% of the 2 d, and 95, 98 and 100% of the 14 d aged pork samples within Lacombe, Duroc and Iberian pig breeds, respectively. Moreover, Vis-NIRS correctly classified 97 and 99% of the moisture enhanced (ME) and Non-ME pork samples aged for 2 d, and 94 and 95% of those aged for 14 d, as well as 94 and 97% of the 2 and 14 d aged pork samples, respectively. Conversely, Vis-NIRS technology could not differentiate pork samples based on pre-slaughter diet or post-slaughter carcass chilling process. Vis-NIRS can segregate enhanced quality pork according to production factors and post-mortem strategies such as pig breed, moisture enhancing and ageing period.

Canada B4 beef carcasses are penalized because the longissimus thoracis (LT) at the grade site (12–13th ribs) is darker than the color threshold for normal bright cherry-red beef. Previous studies have shown that not all B4 carcasses have pH > 6.0; therefore, the relationship between LT pH and meat quality was investigated by collecting thirty half-carcasses comprised of the following: ten Canada AA (AA, control), ten B4 with LT pH > 6.0 (CL, classic), and ten B4 with LT pH

7 páginas, 2 figuras, 3 tablas., NIRS potential to estimate the proportion of PUFA and their biohydrogenation products in adipose tissues from cattle fed sunflower or flaxseed was tested. Immediately after skinning, perirenal and subcutaneous fat samples from 63 steers were collected, scanned intact at 37 degrees C and 33 degrees C, respectively, over a NIR spectral range from 400 to 2498 nm using benchtop equipment and then analyzed for fatty acid composition. NIRS calibrations in perirenal fat showed high predictability for total and major omega - 6 and omega - 3, conjugated linolenic acids, t,t-conjugated linoleic acids (CLA), non-CLA dienes and trans-monounsaturated fatty acids, with R-2 (RMSECV, %) of 0.88-0.89 (0.16-0.20), 0.89-0.91 (0.07-0.08), 0.86-0.89 (0.01-0.09), 0.82 (0.07), 0.89 (0.46) and 0.86-0.88 (0.87-1.29), respectively. NIRS predictions in subcutaneous fat were less reliable, probably due to lower fatty acid variability. The results show NIRS to be a useful technique for the early, fast and relatively inexpensive estimation of proportions of fatty acids with potential human health effects in cattle perirenal fat., Financial support received from the AAFC-Peer Review Program and the Alberta Meat and Livestock Agency is gratefully acknowledged. Dr. N. Prieto acknowledges the receipt of a research contract from the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) and the European Social Fund under the program JAE-Doc “Junta para la Ampliación de Estudios”.

This study tested the ability of near infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS) to predict meat chemical composition, quality traits and fatty acid (FA) composition from 63 steers fed sunflower or flaxseed in combination with high forage diets. NIRS calibrations, tested by cross-validation, were successful for predicting crude protein, moisture and fat content with coefficients of determination (R2) (RMSECV, g · 100 g− 1 wet matter) of 0.85 (0.48), 0.90 (0.60) and 0.86 (1.08), respectively, but were not reliable for meat quality attributes. This technology accurately predicted saturated, monounsaturated and branched FA and conjugated linoleic acid content (R2: 0.83–0.97; RMSECV: 0.04–1.15 mg · g− 1 tissue) and might be suitable for screening purposes in meat based on the content of FAs beneficial to human health such as rumenic and vaccenic acids. Further research applying NIRS to estimate meat quality attributes will require the use on-line of a fibre-optic probe on intact samples.

Yearling steers were fed 70:30 forage:concentrate diets for 205 d, with either grass hay (GH) or red clover silage (RC) as the forage source, and concentrates containing either sunflower-seed (SS) or flaxseed (FS), each providing 5.4% oil to diets. Feeding diets containing SS versus FS significantly improved growth and carcass attributes (P0.05), significantly reduced meat off-flavor intensity (P0.05), and significantly increased intramuscular proportions of vaccenic (t11-18:1), rumenic (c9,t11-CLA) and n-6 fatty acids (FA, P0.05). Feeding diets containing FS versus SS produced significantly darker and redder meat with greater proportions of atypical dienes (P0.05). A significant forage × oilseed type interaction (P0.05) was found for n-3 FA, α-linolenic acid, and conjugated linolenic acid, with their greatest intramuscular proportions found when feeding the RC-FS diet. Feeding GH versus RC also significantly improved growth and carcass attributes, sensory tenderness (P0.05) and significantly influenced intramuscular FA composition (P0.05), but overall, forage effects on FA profiles were limited compared to effects of oilseed.

9 páginas, 4 figuras, 3 tablas., This study examined the ability of near infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS) to estimate the concentration of polyunsaturated fatty acids and their biohydrogenation products in the subcutaneous fat of beef cows fed flaxseed. Subcutaneous fat samples at the 12th rib of 62 cows were stored at 80 degrees C, thawed, scanned over a NIR spectral range from 400 to 2498 nm at 31 degrees C and 2 degrees C, and subsequently analysed for fatty acid composition. Best NIRS calibrations were with samples at 31 degrees C, showing high predictability for most of the n-3 (R(2): 0.81-0.86; RMSECV: 0.11-1.56 mg g(-1) fat) and linolenic acid biohydrogenation products such as conjugated linolenic acids, conjugated linoleic acids (CLA), non-CLA dienes and trans-monounsaturated fatty adds with R(2) (RMSECV mg g(-1) fat) of 0.85-0.85 (0.16-037), 0.84-0.90 (0.21-2.58), 0.90 (5.49) and 0.84-0.90 (4.24-8.83). respectively. NIRS could discriminate 100% of subcutaneous fat samples from beef cows fed diets with and without flaxseed., Spanish National Research Council (CSIC).

s published in Meat Science from the 2014 CMSA / CMC Abstracts are published in cooperation with the Canadian Meat Science Association / Canadian Meat council and have been subject to the Societies own review process and have not been peer reviewed by the Editorship of the journal In the absence of verifiable chronological age, both dentition and carcass ossification have been used as physiological indicators. Physiological maturity is also important in the determination of meat quality. Changes in production practices may have altered the relationship between chronological age and physiological maturity. A total of 224 steers of known chronological age were allotted to a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement of treatments to determine the effect of production system (calf-fed: CF; yearling-fed: YF) and growth implant (non-implant: NIMP; implant: IMP) on physiological indicators of chronological age. There were significant interactions (P b 0.001) between the production system and the implanting strategies on the frequencies of the carcasses showing ossification in the sacral, lumbar and thoracic vertebral column portions. In the CF, 59% of the NIMP and 2% of the IMP carcasses did not show any evidence of fusion in the sacral portion. In the lumbar portion, none of the NIMP CF showed any ossification (score 0), while most of ⁎ Corresponding author at: Lacombe Research Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, 6000 CE fax: 01403 782 6120 E-mail addresses: oscar.lopezcampos@agr.gc.ca, olopezcampos@gmail.com (O. Lopez-Campos). http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.meatsci.2014.07.013 0309-1740/© 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. the IMP CF (80%) showed varying degrees of ossification (scores 1–5). In the YF, all the carcasses from the IMP showed advanced ossification ranging from two islands (score 3, 17% and score 4, 15%) to a long fused island on the vertebral cap (score 5, 67%). Sixty six percent of the NIMP YF did not show any osseous formations in the lumbar caps (score 0) and 26% showed a single small island (score 1). The IMP YF (96%) showed ossification in the thoracic portion, while most of the NIMP YF (98%) and both implant groups of the CF (NIMP 100%; IMP 91%), did not show ossification in the thoracic caps. These results support that the physiological maturity of the carcasses might be dramatically impacted depending on the combination of the production system and growth implant strategy. A compendium of descriptors based on dentition and ossification processes at the vertebrae column should be taken into consideration to ensure accurate estimation of chronological age of cattle when birth date is not available.