On farm factors increasing dark cutting in pasture finished beef cattle

Loudon, K.M.W.; Lean, I.J.; Pethick, D.W.; Gardner, G.E.; Grubb, L.J.; Evans, A.C.O.; McGilchrist, P.

doi:10.1016/j.meatsci.2018.06.011

Cited by 25 publications

(19 citation statements)

References 35 publications

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“…Dark cutting is generally attributed to low muscle glycogen stores at slaughter, which is predominantly a function of glycogenesis [143]. Muscle glycogen depletion has been associated with numerous factors including, but not limited, to nutritional status, particularly in grazing systems [144,145], water supply and quality [143], animal temperament [145,146], sex [145,146], climatic conditions and climatic variability [147], and hormone growth promotants, however, this may be confounded by sex [148]. Furthermore, periods of heat load are associated with a decrease in feed intake [40,50,55,149].…”

Section: Implications Of Hot Environmental Conditionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Impact of Heat Load on Cattle

Lees

Sejian

Wallage

et al. 2019

Animals

184

110

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Heat stress and cold stress have a negative influence on cattle welfare and productivity. There have been some studies investigating the influence of cold stress on cattle, however the emphasis within this review is the influence of heat stress on cattle. The impact of hot weather on cattle is of increasing importance due to the changing global environment. Heat stress is a worldwide phenomenon that is associated with reduced animal productivity and welfare, particularly during the summer months. Animal responses to their thermal environment are extremely varied, however, it is clear that the thermal environment influences the health, productivity, and welfare of cattle. Whilst knowledge continues to be developed, managing livestock to reduce the negative impact of hot climatic conditions remains somewhat challenging. This review provides an overview of the impact of heat stress on production and reproduction in bovines.

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Section: Implications Of Hot Environmental Conditionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Impact of Heat Load on Cattle

Lees

Sejian

Wallage

et al. 2019

Animals

184

110

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“…[ 4 ] DFD carcasses costs around 55 and 20 million dollars per annum for Australian [ 5 ] and British [ 6 ] industry, respectively, and may affect to a range of 6–50% of carcasses, depending of seasonal and geographical variation. [ 7 ] Despite there is no official information about incidence of this problem in Spain, available data indicate that it may affect approximately 14% [ 8 ] of bovine carcasses.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Australia, which is one of the countries with the highest incidence of dark cutting beef, considers that meat with a high pHu (>5.7) is typically dark in color and known as DFD. [ 7 ] Moreover, FAO reported that a pHu higher than 6.2 indicates that the animal was stressed, injured, or diseased prior to slaughter. [ 9 ] Therefore, measurement of final pH during the conversion of muscle into meat is a highly important factor for meat industry [ 10 ] and it is used the most as routine practice to control the occurrence of defective meats.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Characterization of the Myofibrillar Proteome as a Way to Better Understand Differences in Bovine Meats Having Different Ultimate pH Values

et al. 2020

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Influence of ultimate pH (pHu) on the occurrence of defective meats known as dark, firm, and dry (DFD) meats has been studied through a proteomic approach at early post‐mortem times. The myofibrillar sub‐proteome of longissimus thoracis et lumborum muscle from twelve loin samples from Asturiana de los Valles x Friesian yearling bulls, previously classified into two groups of six samples according to their pH values (normal, pHu < 6.0 and high, pHu ≥ 6.0), is analyzed at 24 h post‐mortem. Fractionation/enrichment of muscle samples is carried out by combining OFFGEL fractionation in the pH range 4–7 followed by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS‐PAGE) of the retrieved liquid fractions. Four protein bands satisfactorily discriminate between meat samples with normal and high pHu. These bands are quantified by image analysis, and further identified by liquid chromatography‐mass spectrometry as desmin, pyruvate kinase, myosin light chain, and myosin heavy chain‐1 and ‐2. Coupling OFFGEL and SDS‐PAGE separation with MS provides detailed and reproducible myofibrillar protein profiles enabling comparison among the sample groups assayed. This makes feasible to identify biomarkers capable to better understand pre‐slaughter stress condition susceptible to give DFD meats with high pHu values.

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“…The day following slaughter, all carcasses were graded by qualified Meat Standards Australia and AUS-MEAT graders (MLA, 2006). Carcasses were identified with a carcass ticket and measurements taken using the methodology described in Loudon et al [27]. Measurements included Eye Muscle Area (EMA), Ossification, Meat colour, Marbling, rump fat depth (P8), Rib fat depth, Ultimate pH and loin temperature.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Use of Biochemical Measurements to Identify Pre-Slaughter Stress in Pasture Finished Beef Cattle

Loudon

Tarr

Pethick

et al. 2019

Animals

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Simple SummaryProducing a product that delivers a consistently high-quality eating experience is paramount to the Australian beef industry to ensure consumer satisfaction and return protein purchasing. The importance of minimising pre-slaughter stress in cattle for animal welfare and meat quality is well understood by the industry, however, there currently exists no objective measurement of detecting which cattle are at greatest risk of producing poor quality meat. A pre-slaughter measurement would enable the beef industry to detect at risk cattle and implement an intervention strategy prior to slaughter. Muscle damage enzyme creatine kinase was the plasma biomarker most correlated with meat quality and a two-week rest period prior to slaughter was beneficial for improving quality. Further research is required to determine the usefulness of creatine kinase as an objective measurement on a commercial scale and the cost benefit of a two-week rest period for the industry. AbstractThis study considered the relationship between pre-slaughter stressors and plasma biomarkers in 488 pasture-raised cattle across two experiments. The design aimed to test groups consisting of steer only, heifer only, and mixed sex cattle under direct kill versus rested (14 days in abattoir holding paddocks) protocols. In Experiment One, cattle were sourced from four farms, and transported by trucks and ships on the same day. In Experiment Two, cattle were sourced from four farms where a comparison was made between marketing via two commercial saleyards or direct farm gate consignment to abattoir. Blood samples were collected at exsanguination for subsequent analyses and relation to meat quality attributes. Muscle damage, as indicated by creatine kinase, is the biomarker most correlated to ultimate pH and muscle glycogen concentrations. A two-week rest period is effective for lowering this enzyme and improving muscle glycogen concentration. Although the cattle was subjected to a range of stress inducing treatments, we found that plasma biomarkers alone appeared insufficient for use as diagnostic stress indicators.

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On farm factors increasing dark cutting in pasture finished beef cattle

Cited by 25 publications

References 35 publications

The Impact of Heat Load on Cattle

The Impact of Heat Load on Cattle

Characterization of the Myofibrillar Proteome as a Way to Better Understand Differences in Bovine Meats Having Different Ultimate pH Values

The Use of Biochemical Measurements to Identify Pre-Slaughter Stress in Pasture Finished Beef Cattle

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