Chemical properties of cow and beef muscles: benchmarking the differences and similarities.
The objective of this study was to identify muscles from cow populations that are equivalent or may possibly be made equivalent to muscles from A-maturity, Select-grade cattle in terms of chemical, compositional, and color characteristics. Objective color, expressible moisture, proximate composition, pH, heme iron concentration, and total collagen content were determined for 9 muscles (M. gluteus medius, M. infraspinatus, M. longissimus dorsi, M. psoas major, M. rectus femoris, M. tensor fascia latae, M. teres major, M. triceps brachii lateral-head, and M. triceps brachii long-head) from 15 cattle from each of 5 commercially identified populations [fed beef cows (B-F), non-fed beef cows (B-NF), fed dairy cows (D-F), non-fed dairy cows (D-NF), and A-maturity, Select-grade cattle (SEL)]. Muscles from B-F and B-NF populations were more similar to the SEL than were the D-F and D-NF. There were 2 muscles, the M. infraspinatus and M. teres major, from the population of B-F that were similar, physically and chemically, to SEL in most traits. The majority of the 9 muscles from the cows did not differ (P < 0.05) from SEL for percentage expressible moisture, proximate composition, and total collagen content. However, notable differences in pH, objective color L*, total pigment content, and heme iron content existed between cow populations and SEL. The muscles from SEL had significantly (P < 0.05) lower total pigment and heme iron concentrations. These differences likely relate to the visual appearance of muscles from the different populations of cattle. Two of the 9 muscles studied were similar among cow populations and A-maturity, Select-grade beef.
Patten
L E
LE
Department of Animal Science, University of Nebraska, Lincoln 68583-0908, USA.
Hodgen
J M
JM
Stelzleni
A M
AM
Calkins
C R
CR
Johnson
D D
DD
Gwartney
B L
BL
D000822:Animal Husbandry; D000818:Animals; D001823:Body Composition; D002417:Cattle / Q000502:physiology*; D003094:Collagen / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D007501:Iron / Q000032:analysis; D008297:Male; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000502:physiology*; D010858:Pigmentation; D012727:Sex Characteristics
D003094:Collagen; D007501:Iron