The colour and sensory characteristics of longissimus muscle from beef cattle that grazed grass or consumed concentrates prior to slaughter

Abstract

BACKGROUND Grazed grass is an important component of the majority of beef production systems used in temperate climates. Compared to concentrate‐fed beef, ‘grass‐fed’ beef can command a premium in some markets based on perceived differences in appearance and sensory characteristics. The influence of grazed grass per se, as well as the duration of grazing, on selected sensory characteristics of beef within a heifer production system was examined. RESULTS In general, fat from grass‐fed cattle was more yellow than fat from similar cattle fed concentrates, whereas muscle from grass‐fed cattle was darker than muscle from cattle fed concentrates. At the same carcass weight, muscle from grass‐fed cattle had a lower fat concentration than cattle fed concentrates. In the most extreme situation examined, whereby early‐maturing heifers were fed concentrates ad libitum from weaning or grazed grass/conserved grass throughout life, until slaughtered at a similar carcass weight (260 kg) and differed in age by 5 months, beef was rated similarly for tenderness and a range of flavours by a trained sensory panel. CONCLUSION Within the range of beef heifer production systems examined, the sensory characteristics of grass‐fed beef do not differ greatly from concentrate‐fed beef. © 2021 The Authors. Journal of The Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

Evaluating the Shelf Life and Sensory Properties of Beef Steaks from Cattle Raised on Different Grass Feeding Systems in the Western United States

“…Our results indicate that fat surface lightness was higher in the steaks from the CON and 25GF groups while fat from the 20GF and 45GR groups appeared more yellow in color. This yellowing of fat in grass-fed animals is a generally consistent finding [ 53 , 54 , 55 , 56 ]. The yellow color of external fat of steaks from 20GF and 45GR treatment groups might be due to the fresh pasture having increased carotenoid content [ 44 , 57 ].…”

Intrinsic and Extrinsic Factors Affecting the Color of Fresh Beef Meat—Comprehensive Review

“…The quality, the amount, and the duration of concentrate feeding in different management systems might have a variable influence on a* values in meat [82,83]. At constant slaughter weights, similar a* values were obtained for concentrate and grass-based animals [76,83]. It was also described that grazing periods up to 98 days during the finishing phase did not produce any significant effects in a* values [84].…”

“…This effect is associated with a higher amount of calories fed to the animals in intensive systems, promoting a glycolytic metabolism and increasing total and intramuscular fat compared to the extensive counterparts [63,82]. The quality, the amount, and the duration of concentrate feeding in different management systems might have a variable influence on a* values in meat [82,83]. At constant slaughter weights, similar a* values were obtained for concentrate and grass-based animals [76,83].…”

Determining muscle plasticity and meat quality development of low-input extended fed market-ready steers

“…Even so, grass-fed beef can still appear dark in color despite having no difference in pH u compared to grain-fed beef ( Moloney et al, 2022 ). Yet, even when difference in pH u is noted and lean of grass-fed beef is darker; pH u is still well within what is considered optimal and normal pH ( Briskey,1964 ), and suggests other factors aid in color discrepancy between grass and grain-fed beef.…”