title: Effect of α-tocopherol tissue levels on beef quality.
abstract: To evaluate meat quality of beef with different α-tocopherol tissue levels, 55 feedlot steers were fed a barley-based finisher diet with four vitamin E supplementation levels (0, 350, 700 and 1400 IU DL-α-tocopheryl acetate/animal per day) for 120 days. Although the increase in oxidation levels overtime was much smaller (P < 0.001) in the high-medium and high groups, α-tocopherol tissue levels did not affect (P > 0.05) pH, proximate analysis, drip and cooking losses, and shear force of steaks. No effect of α-tocopherol tissue levels was found in retail evaluation of steaks after a short ageing time of 6 days, but with 21 days of ageing, a delay in formation of metmyoglobin (P = 0.008) was observed in steaks with higher tissue levels of α-tocopherol. Similar results were found for ground beef (25% fat) prepared from 6-day aged meat. Thus, higher α-tocopherol tissue levels protect ground beef and long-aged steaks from discolouration and lipid oxidation.
authors.affiliation: Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Lacombe Research Centre, 6000 C & E Trail, Lacombe, AB, T4L 1W1, Canada.
authors.forename: R T
authors.initials: RT
authors.lastname: Nassu
authors.forename: M E R
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Dugan
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Juárez
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Basarab
authors.forename: V S
authors.initials: VS
authors.lastname: Baron
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Aalhus