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

In March 2020, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic, which ultimately led to many meat processors temporarily shutting down or reducing processing capacity. This backlog in processing capacity forced many feedlots to retain cattle for longer periods of time and assume the risk of major market fluctuations. The aim of this study was to understand how a dietary insult affects meat quality and muscle metabolism in market-ready steers (590 kg). Sixteen market-ready (590 kg) commercial Angus crossbred steers were subjected to a maintenance diet of either forage or grain for 60 d. Longissimus lumborum (LL) muscle samples were collected immediately postmortem and processed for characteristics reflecting the underlying muscle fiber type and energy state of the tissue. Despite cattle being subjected to a 60-d feeding period, there were no detectable differences (P > 0.05) in carcass characteristics, color of lean, or ultimate pH (pHu). Moreover, our data show that muscle plasticity is rather resilient, as reflected by lack of significance (P > 0.05) in oxidative and glycolytic enzymes, myosin heavy chain isoforms (MyHC), myoglobin, and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) contents. These data show that market-ready steers are capable of withstanding a low-input feeding strategy up to 60 d without dramatically impacting underlying muscle characteristics and meat quality development.

Effects of Thawing Conditions on the Physicochemical and Microbiological Quality of Thawed Beef.

This study aimed to determine the effects of thawing methods such as thawing in a refrigerator, at room temperature, in cold water, and using a microwave oven on the pH, color value, 2-thiobarbituric acid (TBA) value, water-holding capacity, thawing loss, textural attributes, microbial status, and morphology of frozen beef samples. The redness (a*) value of beef samples thawed in cold water for prolonged time and those thawed at room temperature for prolonged time significantly increased compared with that of samples thawed using other methods. The TBA value and thawing loss of beef samples thawed in a refrigerator were significantly lower than those of samples thawed using other methods. Regardless of the thawing method used, beef samples thawed for prolonged time showed significantly high TBA values. With regard to texture, beef samples thawed using a microwave oven showed the maximum hardness compared with those thawed using other methods. The total aerobic bacterial count in fresh beef samples was 1.98 log colony-forming unit (CFU)/g, whereas that in samples thawed at room temperature was 2.49 log CFU/g. Beef samples thawed at room temperature for prolonged time and those thawed using a microwave oven showed irregular structure. These data demonstrated that the thawing condition affects the physicochemical and microbiological qualities of beef, with thawing in a refrigerator resulting in superior beef quality than thawing at room temperature or using a microwave oven.

Knowledge Gaps on the Utilization of Fossil Shell Flour in Beef Production: A Review.

Population growth in many countries results in increased demand for livestock production and quality products. However, beef production represents a complex global sustainability challenge, including meeting the increasing demand and the need to respond to climate change and/or greenhouse gas emissions. Several feed resources and techniques have been used but have some constraints that limit their efficient utilization which include being product-specific, not universally applicable, and sometimes compromising the quality of meat. This evokes a need for novel techniques that will provide sustainable beef production and mitigate the carbon footprint of beef while not compromising beef quality. Fossil shell flour (FSF) is a natural additive with the potential to supplement traditional crops in beef cattle rations in response to this complex global challenge as it is cheap, readily available, and eco-friendly. However, it has not gained much attention from scientists, researchers, and farmers, and its use has not yet been adopted in most countries. This review seeks to identify knowledge or research gaps on the utilization of fossil shell flour in beef cattle production, with respect to climate change, carcass, and meat quality. Addressing these research gaps would be a step forward in developing sustainable and eco-friendly beef production.

Assessment of beef sensory attributes and physicochemical characteristics: A comparative study of intermediate versus normal ultimate pH striploin cuts.

The quality of beef, defined by key attributes such as the intrinsic sensory qualities texture, flavour, and juiciness, is shaped by various intrinsic and extrinsic factors. This study conducted a detailed examination of Nellore beef, focusing on two categories based on ultimate pH (pHu) levels: intermediate (pHu ≥ 5.8) and normal (pHu < 5.6) beef. A comprehensive approach was taken, involving twenty trained assessors who applied the Optimised Descriptive Profile (ODP) method to evaluate grilled striploin steak samples. In parallel, consumer preferences were measured through a hedonic test and a Check-all-that-apply (CATA) task, involving 135 participants. The ODP results revealed that the intermediate pHu samples were juicier (P < 0.05) compared to the normal pHu group. The CATA analysis highlighted differences in both intermediate and normal pHu beef, especially in juiciness, a crucial factor for consumer satisfaction. Notably, variations in deoxymyoglobin content linked to ageing were observed, with higher levels at the 3rd day compared to the 28th day, especially in the intermediate pHu samples (P < 0.05). Moreover, colour-related aspects such as L*, b*, chroma (C*), and oxymyoglobin were significantly influenced (P < 0.05) by both the pHu category and ageing time. Regarding consumer acceptance, the study found no significant difference in perception between the intermediate and normal pHu groups (P > 0.05). These findings revealed the complex interactions between pHu levels, sensory characteristics, and consumer preferences in beef quality, offering valuable insights for both the industry and research community.

Effects of dietary vitamin E supplementation on growth performance, slaughter performance, antioxidant capacity and meat quality characteristics of finishing bulls.

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of dietary supplementation of vitamin E (VE) on growth performance, slaughter performance, antioxidant capacity and meat quality characteristics of finishing bulls. Twenty Yanbian cattle (bulls) with initial body weight (BW) 485 ± 42 kg were randomly divided into two groups (control and treatment groups) and participated in a100-day finishing trial. The control group (CON) was fed a basal diet (total mixed ration, TMR). The treatment group was fed a basal diet supplemented with VE (provided as α-tocopherol acetate, 700 IU/bull/day). VE supplementation significantly increased the average daily gain (ADG) of finishing bulls, the beef marbling score, meat color parameters (a* [redness]), intramuscular fat content, the concentration of catalase, superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-PX), VE and matrix metalloproteinases (MMP-13) in the serum and muscle tissue (P < 0.05). VE supplementation significantly decreased drip loss and cooking loss of the beef, the concentration of nitric oxide (NO) in the serum and muscle tissue, the concentration of malondialdehyde in the muscle tissue (P < 0.05), and tended to decrease the feed: gain (P = 0.077) and shear force (P = 0.062) of the beef. In conclusion, VE supplementation can improve the meat quality parameters of finishing bulls, especially the improvement of beef tenderness. The improvement of beef tenderness by VE supplementation may be related to the increase of MMPs concentration, and a potential mechanism for the secretion of MMPs by VE supplementation may be related to its antioxidant capacity.

IoT-Enabled Electronic Nose System for Beef Quality Monitoring and Spoilage Detection.

Food spoilage is a major concern in the food industry, especially for highly perishable foods such as beef. In this paper, we present a versatile Internet of Things (IoT)-enabled electronic nose system to monitor food quality by evaluating the concentrations of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The IoT system consists mainly of an electronic nose, temperature/humidity sensors, and an ESP32-S3 microcontroller to send the sensors' data to the server. The electronic nose consists of a carbon dioxide gas sensor, an ammonia gas sensor, and an ethylene gas sensor. This paper's primary focus is to use the system for identifying beef spoilage. Hence, the system performance was examined on four beef samples stored at different temperatures: two at 4 °C and two at 21 °C. Microbial population quantifications of aerobic bacteria, Lactic Acid Bacteria (LAB), and Pseudomonas spp., in addition to pH measurements, were conducted to evaluate the beef quality during a period of 7 days to identify the VOCs concentrations that are associated with raw beef spoilage. The spoilage concentrations that were identified using the carbon dioxide, ammonia, and ethylene sensors were 552 ppm-4751 ppm, 6 ppm-8 ppm, and 18.4 ppm-21.1 ppm, respectively, as determined using a 500 mL gas sensing chamber. Statistical analysis was conducted to correlate the bacterial growth with the VOCs production, where it was found that aerobic bacteria and Pseudomonas spp. are responsible for most of the VOCs production in raw beef.

Comparative analysis of helium and air surface micro-discharge plasma treatment on the microbial reduction and quality attributes of beef slices.

This work aimed to compare the effects of helium and air surface micro-discharge (SMD) plasma on the microbial safety and quality of beef tissues. For the beef tissue model, the concentration and diffusion depth of hydroxyl radical and ozone have different change patterns over plasma treatment time and distance in helium and air SMD plasma. The inactivation efficiency of helium plasma depended on the plasma treatment time and distance, while the inactivation efficiency of air plasma only depended on the treatment time. For the fresh beef slices, air SMD plasma treatment exhibited a higher antimicrobial activity against S. aureus and E. coli than helium SMD plasma treatment (1.5 versus 0.9; 0.9 versus 0.28 log CFU/g at 10 min). However, air SMD plasma treatment caused more adverse effects on beef quality, leading to a smooth surface, extensive lipid oxidation, protein structure damage, low pH and discoloration compared to helium SMD plasma treatment. This work provides valuable guidelines for the working gas choice in the practical application of plasma to meat decontamination.

Consumer perception of marbling and beef quality during purchase and consumer preferences for degree of doneness.

OBJECTIVE: Understanding consumer perception of meat quality in developing countries is an important issue since consumer perception of quality could be highly variable. In the current study, consumers' purchasing preferences affected by marbling and perception of quality were evaluated in a survey study. Furthermore, consumers' preferences for degree of doneness were investigated using both survey and consumer panel studies. METHODS: The study was carried out in two phases. Firstly, a survey was conducted in Adana Province, Turkey to collect data related to the attributes affecting consumers' meat purchase decision and consumers' degree of doneness preferences. In the second phase, boneless ribeye was used to investigate consumers' degree of doneness preferences in a consumer panel. In addition, proximate analyses of the samples were conducted. RESULTS: The survey study using pictures of marbling illustrations indicated that higher degrees of marbling might be considered too fatty to be purchased by consumers. Consumers' perceptions regarding the relationship between marbling and beef quality further indicated that marbling might not be acknowledged as a cue of a higher quality meat. Nevertheless, the results of the importance of some attributes related to intrinsic and extrinsic quality cues showed that consumers were looking for the cues that indicated not only quality but also safety of the meat during meat purchase. The results of both survey and consumer panel studies revealed that consumers might prefer higher degrees of doneness while consuming meat since a majority of the consumers' preference of degree of doneness was at least well done. CONCLUSION: This study revealed that consumer purchasing preferences might vary between countries regarding marbling and perception of quality. Furthermore, higher degrees of doneness could be the preference of these consumers. Thus, further studies are needed to increase consumer satisfaction in these countries.

Effects of genomic estimated breeding value and dietary energy to protein ratio on growth performance, carcass trait, and lipogenic gene expression in Hanwoo steer.

"Genome-based precision feeding" is a concept that involves the application of customised diets to different genetic groups of cattle. We investigated the effects of the genomic estimated breeding value (gEBV) and dietary energy to protein ratio (DEP) on growth performance, carcass traits, and lipogenic gene expression in Hanwoo (Korean cattle) steers. Forty-four Hanwoo steers (BW = 636 kg, age = 26.9 months) were genotyped using the Illumina Bovine 50 K BeadChip. The gEBV was calculated using genomic best linear unbiased prediction. Animals were separated into high gEBV of marbling score or low-gMS groups based on the upper and lower 50% groupings of the reference population, respectively. Animals were assigned to one of four groups in a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement: high gMS/high DEP (0.084 MJ/g), high gMS/low DEP (0.079 MJ/g), low gMS/high DEP, and low gMS/low DEP. Steers were fed concentrate with a high or low DEP for 31 weeks. The BW tended to be higher (0.05 < P < 0.1) in the high-gMS groups compared to the low-gMS groups at 0, 4, 8, 12, and 20 weeks. The average daily gain (ADG) tended to be lower (P = 0.08) in the high-gMS group than in the low-gMS group. Final BW and measured carcass weight (CW) were positively correlated with the gEBV of carcass weight (gCW). The DEP did not affect ADG. Neither the gMS nor the DEP affected the MS and beef quality grade. The intramuscular fat (IMF) content in the longissimus thoracis (LT) tended to be higher (P = 0.08) in the high-gMS groups than in the low-gMS groups. The mRNA levels of lipogenic acetyl-CoA carboxylase and fatty acid binding protein 4 genes in the LT were higher (P < 0.05) in the high-gMS group than in the low-gMS group. Overall, the IMF content tended to be affected by the gMS, and the genetic potential (i.e., gMS) was associated with the functional activity of lipogenic gene expression. The gCW was associated with the measured BW and CW. The results demonstrated that the gMS and the gCW may be used as early prediction indexes for meat quality and growth potential of beef cattle.

Beef Quality Classification with Reduced E-Nose Data Features According to Beef Cut Types.

Ensuring safe food supplies has recently become a serious problem all over the world. Controlling the quality, spoilage, and standing time for products with a short shelf life is a quite difficult problem. However, electronic noses can make all these controls possible. In this study, which aims to develop a different approach to the solution of this problem, electronic nose data obtained from 12 different beef cuts were classified. In the dataset, there are four classes (1: excellent, 2: good, 3: acceptable, and 4: spoiled) indicating beef quality. The classifications were performed separately for each cut and all cut shapes. The ANOVA method was used to determine the active features in the dataset with data for 12 features. The same classification processes were carried out by using the three active features selected by the ANOVA method. Three different machine learning methods, Artificial Neural Network, K Nearest Neighbor, and Logistic Regression, which are frequently used in the literature, were used in classifications. In the experimental studies, a classification accuracy of 100% was obtained as a result of the classification performed with ANN using the data obtained by combining all the tables in the dataset.

- Invited Review - Factors affecting beef quality and nutrigenomics of intramuscular adipose tissue deposition.

Beef quality is characterized by marbling (marbling degree and marbling fineness), physiochemical (shear force, meat color, fat color, texture, and maturity), and sensory (tenderness, flavor, juiciness, taste, odor, and appearance) traits. This paper summarizes and addresses beef-quality characteristics and the beef-grading systems in Korea, Japan, the USA, and Australia. This paper summarizes recent research progresses on the genetic and nutritional factors that affect beef quality. Intramuscular (i.m.) adipose tissue deposition or marbling is a major determinant of beef quality. This paper addresses the mechanisms of i.m. adipose tissue deposition focused on adipogenesis and lipogenesis. We also address selected signaling pathways associated with i.m. adipose tissue deposition. Nutrients contribute to the cellular response and phenotypes through gene expression and metabolism. This paper addresses control of gene expression through several nutrients (carbohydrates, fat/fatty acids, vitamins, etc.) for i.m. adipose tissue deposition. Several transcription factors responsible for gene expression via nutrients are addressed. We introduce the concept of genome-based precision feeding in Korean cattle.

The Effect of Kosher Determinants of Beef on Its Color, Texture Profile and Sensory Evaluation.

Traditional ritual slaughter is an underlying practice in religious Jewish communities and it translates into eating in accordance with core beliefs. This paper aims to comprehensively analyze factors determining the kosher status of beef (sex, slaughter method, and muscle type) and assess their impact on selected quality properties, such as color or texture profile. Sensory evaluation was also performed. The muscles were obtained from 80 carcasses (50% of heifers and 50% of young bulls). The experimental results indicate that each studied kosherness determinant influenced beef quality properties. The process of koshering caused the darkening of beef and lowered the share of color parameters red (a*) and yellow (b*). The influence of the type of slaughter on the values of adhesiveness, gumminess, and chewiness of beef was confirmed; higher values were mostly obtained in the muscles of cattle from kosher slaughter. As to sensory evaluation, the study showed that in the case of muscle type, the sex and slaughter method positively influenced only some of the properties.

Early postmortem muscle proteome and metabolome of beef longissimus thoracis muscle classified by pH at 6 hours postmortem.

The objective was to identify metabolome and proteome differences at 1 h and 1 d postmortem between longissimus thoracis (LT) muscle classified based on 6 h pH values. Twenty beef LT rib sections were sorted based on 6 h postmortem pH values into low (LpH; pH < 5.55; n = 9) and high (HpH; pH > 5.84; n = 8) pH classifications. Warner-Bratzler shear force (WBSF), desmin degradation, and calpain-1 autolysis were measured. Two-dimensional difference in gel electrophoresis (3-10, 4-7, and 6-9 pH range) and Tandem mass tagging (TMT) protein analyses were employed to determine how the sarcoplasmic protein profile varied across pH classification. Non-targeted metabolomic analyses were conducted on extracts prepared at 1 h and 1 d postmortem. The LpH classification had a lower WBSF value at 1 d postmortem, which was explained by greater calpain-1 autolysis and desmin degradation at 1 d postmortem. Proteome and metabolome analysis revealed a phenotype that promotes more rapid energy metabolism in the LpH group. Proteome and metabolome analyses identified energy production, apoptotic, calcium homeostasis, and proteasome systems influencing pH classifications that could explain the observed pH, proteolysis, and beef tenderness differences. SIGNIFICANCE: This study is the first to identify proteomic and metabolomic variations early (1 h and 1 day) postmortem that are linked to differences in early (6 h) postmortem pH values and to tenderness differences at 1 day postmortem. This study integrates postmortem biochemical features (protein degradation, proteome, and metabolome variations) to postmortem pH decline and eating quality of beef steaks. Potential biomarkers of more rapid postmortem metabolism linked to earlier tenderization in beef are suggested. Identification of these biochemical features will assist in predicting the eating quality of beef products.

Changes of mitochondrial lipid molecules, structure, cytochrome c and ROS of beef Longissimus lumborum and Psoas major during postmortem storage and their potential associations with beef quality.

This study investigated changes in mitochondrial lipid molecules and their potential associations with Longissimus lumborum (LL) and Psoas major (PM) quality during storage. A total of 1610 lipid species that matched with 36 lipid classes were identified from isolated mitochondria. PM had more key lipid molecules at storage d-1 including diacylglycerol and triacylglycerol (may play roles in membrane stability), phosphatidylethanolamine, acyl carnitine and cardiolipin (involved in energy metabolism), and cardiolipin and phosphatidylserine (important factors in apoptosis). Correspondingly, with extended storage time, mitochondrial structure, cytochrome c and reactive oxygen species (ROS) were changed, and muscle oxidation intensified. These changes have close associations with shear force and water holding capacity (WHC). Compared with LL, PM had higher content of lipid classes, more mitochondrial ROS, greater muscle oxidation, and lower shear force and WHC. These findings provided new insights into the effects of lipidome on mitochondrial structure, ROS and cytochrome c, and their potential associations with beef quality.

Proteomics Unveils Post-Mortem Changes in Beef Muscle Proteins and Provides Insight into Variations in Meat Quality Traits of Crossbred Young Steers and Heifers Raised in Feedlot.

Proteomics has been widely used to study muscle biology and meat quality traits from different species including beef. Beef proteomics studies allow a better understanding of the biological processes related to meat quality trait determination. This study aimed to decipher by means of two-dimensional electrophoresis (2D-PAGE), mass spectrometry and bioinformatics the changes in post-mortem muscle with a focus on proteins differentially expressed in the Longissimus thoracis (LT) muscle of immunocastrated young heifers and steers. Carcass traits, chemical composition, pH, instrumental color (L*, a*, b*), cooking loss and Warner-Bratzler shear force (WBSF) of meat from F1 Montana-Nellore cattle were also evaluated. Backfat thickness (BFT) and intramuscular fat content (IMF) were 46.8% and 63.6% higher in heifers (p < 0.05), respectively, while evaporation losses (EL) were 10.22% lower compared to steers. No differences (p > 0.05) were observed for tenderness evaluated by WBSF (3, 10, and 17 days post-mortem), pH, and color traits (L*, a* and b*) between the experimental groups. The study revealed several proteins to be differentially expressed proteins in heifers compared steers (p < 0.05). In heifers, proteins involved in nutrient transport (TF, ALB, and MB), energy metabolism (ALDOA, GAPDH, and PKM), and oxidative stress and response to stress (HSPA8 and CA3) were associated with a greater BFT and IMF deposition. The higher expression of these proteins indicated greater oxidative capacity and lower glycolytic activity in the LT muscle of heifers. In steers, there was greater abundance of protein expression related to muscle contraction and proteins of structure (ACTA1, TPM2 and TNNT3), energy metabolism (ENO1, ENO3, PYGM, PGM1 and TPI1) and ATP metabolism (ATP5F1B, PEBP1 and AK1), indicating greater glycogenolysis in LT muscle, suggesting a shift in the glycolytic/oxidative fibers of steers.

Exploratory lipidome and metabolome profiling contributes to understanding differences in high and normal ultimate pH beef.

The aim of this work was to compare the lipidome and metabolome profiling in the Longissimus thoracis muscle early and late postmortem from high and normal ultimate pH (pHu) beef. Lipid profiling discriminated between high and normal pHu beef based on fatty acid metabolism and mitochondrial beta-oxidation of long chain saturated fatty acids at 30 min postmortem, and phospholipid biosynthesis at 44 h postmortem. Metabolite profiling also discriminated between high and normal pHu beef, mainly through glutathione, purine, arginine and proline, and glycine, serine and threonine metabolisms at 30 min postmortem, and glycolysis, TCA cycle, glutathione, tyrosine, and pyruvate metabolisms at 44 h postmortem. Lipid and metabolite profiles showed reduced glycolysis and increased use of alternative energy metabolic processes that were central to differentiating high and normal pHu beef. Phospholipid biosynthesis modification suggested high pHu beef experienced greater oxidative stress.

Benchmarking animal handling outcomes on cow-calf operations and identifying associated factors.

The assessment of animal handling is commonly included in cattle care programs. The guidelines set in the National Cattlemen's Beef Association Beef Checkoff funded Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) program are often used for assessing handling on feedlot, stocker, and cow-calf operations. There is limited information about animal handling on cow-calf operations. Thus, the objectives of this study were to: (1) quantify handling outcomes on cow-calf operations and compare them to national BQA program thresholds, and (2) investigate factors associated with handling outcomes. Researchers visited 76 operations across the United States to observe the following outcomes, adapted from the BQA program, during the processing of cows or yearling heifers: Prod Use, Miscatch, Vocalization, Jump, Slip/Stumble, Fall and Run. One hundred cows or less (depending on herd size) were observed moving through a restraint system at each operation. Other information specific to the animal type, facilities, and management were also gathered to be explored as potential predictors of handling outcomes. Data were summarized using descriptive statistics on an operation basis and analyzed with multi-predictor ANOVA or Kruskal-Wallis tests to assess the relationship between outcomes and possible explanatory factors. Predictors included in the final analyses were: BQA certification (BQA), animal temperament (TEMP), region (REGION), chute style (CHUTE), and visual contact with humans (VISUAL). The 76 operations were sampled in 24 states (Central, n = 17; East, 30; West, 29), with herd sizes ranging from 10 animals to more than 5,000 animals. A total of 4,804 animals were observed. There were a substantial number of operations exceeding BQA thresholds for Prod Use (34.0%, 26), Miscatch (46.0%, 35), and Fall (31.6%, 24); the averages of these outcomes also exceeded the BQA thresholds (< 10%, 0%, and 2%, respectively). There was an association between Prod Use and several explanatory factors, including SIZE (P = 0.072), TEMP (P = 0.001), VISUAL (P = 0.027), and BQA (P = 0.104). Miscatch, Vocalization, and Fall all had single associated factors (REGION, P = 0.019; REGION, P = 0.002; VISUAL, P = 0.002, respectively). The VISUAL and TEMP factors had an association with the majority of outcomes. The findings suggest an opportunity for improving handling outcomes, which could be achieved through education and training support regarding the importance of animal handling on-farm. Future work should consider additional aspects of facilities and management that could impact cattle handling outcomes.

Sage extracts obtained with cold plasma improves beef quality.

The aim of the study was to verify the effect of sage extracts obtained using cold plasma on the quality of ground beef. Patties with a different content of sage extracts (0.05% and 0.075%) obtained either by conventional extraction (S0.05, S.0.075) or with cold plasma assistance (SP0.05, SP0.075) were packed under a modified atmosphere (80%O2) and stored in cold conditions for 8 days. Sage extracts addition had no impact on pH, weight loss, colour, content of each myoglobin form, texture, aroma and overall acceptability of raw meat measured on the last storage day (P < 0.05). However, lipid oxidation was inhibited the most in meat with the highest share of sage extract obtained using cold plasma (P < 0.05). This group was also characterized by the highest amount of n-3 fatty acids at the end of storage (P < 0.05). Moreover, the addition of sage at 0.075% prevented hexanal formation in samples. Thus, cold plasma extracts may be introduced in the meat industry.

Beef Quality Assurance national rancher survey: program participation, best management practices, and motivations for joining future sustainability programs.

Till date, with over 137,000 certified members, the most successful rancher educational program has been the Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) program. The BQA program was established in the mid-1990's to improve animal health and welfare with a primary objective to reduce the incidence of injection site lesions by instructing producers to administer injections in the neck only. The present study investigated the drivers of this success to inform future rancher education programs around agricultural sustainability. An online multistate survey was administered to cattle ranchers in collaboration with state cattlemen's associations to better understand rancher motivations for adopting new practices and to gain insight on current involvement in BQA. In total, the survey consisted of 45 questions and was divided into 3 sections: (1) rancher demographics, (2) BQA participation and current best management practice (BMP) application, and (3) willingness to join new rancher educational programs. Data from 842 respondents are including in this study. Of the survey participants, 70% were currently BQA certified or had been BQA certified at one time, and 30% had never been certified. Ranchers who were BQA certified at any time were less likely to administer injections in areas other than the neck compared to ranchers who were not certified (P < 0.05), demonstrating the effectiveness of the BQA program. More than 80% of survey respondents who joined the BQA program stated they believed the BQA program improved animal health and welfare on their operation (n = 617). Among those who had not joined the BQA program, 40% believed BQA practices did not align with their ranching operation, while 38% had not heard of the BQA program (n = 256). The survey indicated that male ranchers, those with more years ranching, those with a larger percent of income coming from ranching, and ranches with larger total acres grazed were more likely to be BQA certified at any time (P < 0.05). Finally, ranchers who were BQA certified at any time were more likely to state that joining a rancher sustainability program would be beneficial to their operation. In conclusion, not only did the survey provide valuable insight into BQA program adoption but highlighted how BQA pedagogy and program structure may be a suitable framework for creating future rancher sustainability programs.

Electronic nose homogeneous data sets for beef quality classification and microbial population prediction.

OBJECTIVES: In recent years, research on the use of electronic noses (e-nose) has developed rapidly, especially in the medical and food fields. Typically, e-nose is coupled with machine learning algorithms to detect or predict multiple sensory classes in a given sample. In many cases, comprehensive and complete experiments are required to ensure the generalizability of the predictive model. For this reason, homogeneous data sets are important to use. Homogeneous data sets refer to the data sets obtained from different observations in almost similar environmental condition. In this data article, e-nose homogeneous data sets are provided for beef quality classification and microbial population prediction. DATA DESCRIPTION: This data set is originated from 12 type of beef cuts. The process of beef spoilage is recorded using 11 Metal-Oxide Semiconductor (MOS) gas sensors for 2220 min. The formal standards, issued by the Meat Standards Committee, are used as a reference in labeling beef quality. Based on the number of microbial populations, meat quality was grouped into four classes, namely excellent, good, acceptable, and spoiled. The data set is formatted in "xlsx" file. Each sheet represents one beef cut. Moreover, data sets are good cases for feature selection algorithm stability test, especially to solve sensor array optimization problems.