Discrimination of beef composition and sensory quality by using rapid Evaporative Ionisation Mass Spectrometry (REIMS)

Herein, we investigated the potential of REIMS analysis for classifying muscle composition and meat sensory quality. The study utilized 116 samples from 29 crossbred Angus × Salers, across three muscle types. Prediction models were developed combining REIMS fingerprints and meat quality metrics. Varying efficacy was observed across REIMS discriminations - muscle type (71 %), marbling level (32 %), untrained consumer evaluated tenderness (36 %), flavor liking (99 %) and juiciness (99 %). Notably, REIMS demonstrated the ability to classify 116 beef across four Meat Standards Australia grades with an overall accuracy of 37 %. Specifically, "premium" beef could be differentiated from "unsatisfactory", "good everyday" and "better than everyday" grades with accuracies of 99 %, 84 %, and 62 %, respectively. Limited efficacy was observed however, in classifying trained panel evaluated sensory quality and fatty acid composition. Additionally, key predictive features were tentatively identified from the REIMS fingerprints primarily comprised of molecular ions present in lipids, phospholipids, and amino acids.

Effect of residual feed intake on meat quality in fattening Charolais bulls fed two contrasting diets

The selection of more efficient animals for breeding is of both economic and environmental interest to the industry. The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of the animals' residual feed intake (RFI) ranking in interaction with the type of diet on the meat quality of Charolais beef cattle. Indeed, several biological mechanisms are associated with RFI, especially when animals are fed high starch-diets. It is therefore possible that quality parameters may show greater changes due to RFI in the context of high starch diets compared to high forage diets. An 84-day feed efficiency trial followed immediately by a second 112-day feed efficiency trial was conducted with a total of 100 animals fed either maize- or grass-diets for 196-days. At the end of the 84-day period, the 32 most divergent RFI animals (16 extreme RFI animals per diet, 8 RFI+ and 8 RFI-) were identified. They were slaughtered after 112-days of finishing. The Longissimus thoracis was characterised in terms of nutritional and sensory quality. RFI had no effect on lab colour, muscle shear force, total fat, fatty acid ratios and most of the total fatty acid content (especially n-3) irrespective of the diet. However, more efficient animals (RFI-) showed higher CLA contents compared to less efficient animals (RFI+) regardless of the diet and also a lower n6/n3 ratio only in animals fed the maize diets. Diet also had a significant effect on lipid and FA content as well as on FA composition.

Non-genetic factors affecting the meat quality and flavor of Inner Mongolian lambs: A review

The Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region ranks first among the five major pastoral areas in terms of lamb breeding of China. The Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region has a vast territory, with many famous grasslands and thousands of forage plants and multiple local high-quality lamb breeds. After hundreds of years of artificial breeding and improvement, Mongolian sheep have developed many varieties. Different diets, feeding and treatment methods have effects on the production performance, lipid deposition and flavor composition of mutton sheep. Therefore, understanding the relationship among Inner Mongolian lamb, meat quality, and flavor will improve the production of high-quality mutton. The regulation of meat quality and flavor will have a profound impact on the deep processing and income-generating capabilities of mutton. Non-genetic factors affect the quality and flavor of mutton, which are more intuitive than genetic factors. In this review, we cover the contributions made by scientists to explore and improve the quality and flavor of Inner Mongolia lambs through non-genetic means, compare the differences between grazing and drylot-feeding in detail, and summarize some feed additives. We hope that based on our review, we can provide some inspiration to improve the meat quality of Mongolian sheep.

Carcass Characteristics and Beef Quality of Young Grass-Fed Angus x Salers Bovines

To characterize carcass and meat attributes, such as beef eating quality in specific farming conditions, 31 young grass-fed crossbred Angus x Salers cattle in two farming systems (a mono-cattle system versus a mixed system with beef cattle and sheep) were used in this study. Three muscle cuts (striploin—m. longissimus dorsi et thoracis; bolar blade—m. triceps brachii caput longum; internal flank plate—m. obliquus internus abdominis) were used for consumer eating quality testing and striploin was used for panelist eating quality assessment, and objective measurements [Warner–Bratzler shear force (WBSF) and fatty acid (FA) and antioxidant contents]. Results indicated that the farming system had no impact on carcass characteristics or meat quality, but it tended to affect FA content, which is likely explained by between-system differences in animal maturity (assessed by ossification score). Animal gender had significant effects on three eating quality traits evaluated by untrained consumers, with higher flavor liking, overall liking, and overall meat eating quality (MQ4) scores in females than in males. Additionally, FA contents were correlated with sensory quality traits to varying extents: consumer-scored tenderness, flavor, and overall liking were mainly positively correlated with ω-3 and ω-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) contents, and panelist-evaluated tenderness and abnormal flavor were more positively correlated with total lipids, saturated fatty acid (SFA), and monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA) contents. Overall, this study showed that specific grass-fed crossbred Angus x Salers cattle can produce lean meat rich in ω-3 PUFAs with a low ω-6/ω-3 ratio and with “better than average” beef eating quality.

Phenolic Compounds Obtained from Olea europaea By-Products and their Use to Improve the Quality and Shelf Life of Meat and Meat Products-A Review

Consumers are interested in consuming clean label foods. Replacing synthetic additives with natural alternatives (especially sources rich in polyphenols) is a valid solution to produce and also preserve foods, especially meat and meat products. Olea europaea leaves and olive pomace and wastewater contain polyphenols that can be explored in this context. In this review, we summarize the main aspects related to the phenolic composition, extraction conditions, antimicrobial potential, and antioxidant activity (in vitro and in vivo) of Olea europaea leaves, olive pomace and wastewater as well as their applications in the production of meat and meat products. This review found evidence that extracts and isolated polyphenols from the Olea europaea tree and olive processing by-products can be explored as natural antioxidant and antimicrobial additives to improve the preservation of meat and meat products. The polyphenols found in these residues (especially oleuropein, hydroxytyrosol and tyrosol) increased the redox state in the main meat-producing animals and, consequently, the oxidative stability of fresh meat obtained from these animals. Moreover, the extracts and isolated polyphenols also improved the shelf life of fresh meat and meat products (as additive and as active component in film) by delaying the growth of microorganisms and the progression of oxidative reactions during storage. The accumulated evidence supports further investigation as a natural additive to improve the preservation of reformulated muscle products and in the production of edible and sustainable films and coatings for fresh meat and meat products.

Comparison of muscle fatty acid composition and lipid stability in lambs stall-fed or pasture-fed alfalfa with or without sainfoin pellet supplementation

Currently, consumers are increasingly interested in obtaining high-quality and healthy lamb meat. Compared to grain-based diets, dietary forage legumes such as alfalfa and condensed tannin (CT)-rich sainfoin increase the levels of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) that are beneficial for health in lamb meat thanks to their high content in PUFA and/or their impact on ruminal biohydrogenation. However, they can therefore adversely affect its oxidative stability. Thus, the impact of dietary forage legumes on lamb longissimus thoracis (LT) muscle FA composition and their stability to peroxidation was studied in 36 Romane lambs grazing alfalfa (AF; n = 12) or alfalfa plus daily supplementation with CT-rich sainfoin pellets (AS; n = 12; 15 g DM/kg BW, 42 g CT/kg DM) or stall-fed concentrate and grass hay indoors (SI; n = 12). Lambs were slaughtered at a mean age of 162 ± 8.0 days after an average experimental period of 101 ± 8.1 days. Forage legumes-grazing lambs outperformed SI lambs in LT nutritional quality, with more conjugated linoleic acids and n-3 PUFAs, especially 18:3n-3, eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acids (P < 0.001), and thus lower n-6 PUFA/n-3 PUFA and 18:2 n-6/18:3 n-3 ratios (P < 0.001). Peroxidizability index was higher (P < 0.001) in LT muscle of forage legumes-grazing lambs. Concurrently, two endogenous antioxidant enzyme activities, superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase, were, respectively, similar and lower (P < 0.001) for forage legumes-grazing compared with SI lambs. A lower vitamin E level in SI lambs compared with forage legumes-grazing lambs (1.0 v. 3.8 mg/g, P < 0.001) could explain that malondialdehyde content, a marker of lipid oxidation intensity, was 0.63 µg/g in SI after 8 days in aerobic packaging conditions, whereas it remaining steady at 0.16 µg/g in forage legumes-grazing lambs. Dietary forage alfalfa thus improved FA composition of lamb LT muscle and their stability to oxidation when compared to SI lambs. However, supplementation of alfalfa-grazing lambs with CT-rich sainfoin pellets did not affect the nutritional quality of LT muscle FAs.