RESUMO
The effects of slaughter age and muscle type on meat quality properties of Eastern Anatolian Red (EAR) bulls ( n = 46 ) were investigated in the present study. Forty-six EAR bulls were slaughtered at 15, 17, 19, 25 and 27 months. Meat samples were taken from longissimus dorsi (LD) and gluteus medius (GM) muscles obtained from the carcasses at 24â¯h post-mortem. Meat color parameters were significantly affected by slaughter age. Older animals (19, 25 and 27 months of age) possessed higher L * , a * and H values than those of younger animals (15 and 17 months of age). LD muscle had higher L * and a * values than those of GM muscles. The influences of slaughter age and muscle type on the proportions of dry matter, ether extract, crude ash and crude protein were not significant in the present study. The influence of slaughter age on the tenderness, acceptability, juiciness, number of chews and Warner-Bratzler shear (WBS) values were found to be significant. Tenderness, juiciness, flavor intensity and acceptability increased until 19 months of age, and then increase in age resulted in lower tenderness, flavor intensity and acceptability scores. Cooking yield significantly increased depending on the increase of age. WBS and cooking yield values from the LD were higher than that of the GM muscle. Textural characteristics such as hardness, springiness, cohesiveness, gumminess, chewiness and resilience were not affected by slaughter age, but muscles had a significant influence on hardness, gumminess, chewiness and resilience. In conclusion, most eating quality characteristics and color parameters were positively influenced by slaughter age.
RESUMO
The effects of three finishing systems on carcass composition and other characteristics of meat were studied in 15 young Eastern Anatolian Red bulls in Eastern Turkey. For 93 days, five bulls grazed pasture (P), five grazed the same pasture and were given concentrate supplementation (P + C), and five grazed the same pasture for 93 days, and then for an additional 40 days, they received concentrate in a barn (PF). Carcasses of the P bulls were lighter and leaner than those of the PF animals. Compared with the P carcasses, PF carcasses had a greater percentage of kidney, pelvic, and heart fat (P < 0.05), marbling score (P < 0.05), fat thickness over the longissimus dorsi (LD) muscle (P < 0.05), and percentage of ether extractable lipids (P < 0.05). The LD of P carcasses was darker (P < 0.01) in color and the meat was tougher. The ratio of polyunsaturated to saturated fatty acids in LD intramuscular fat was higher (P < 0.05) for P bulls than for P + C and PF. P carcasses contained a lower (P < 0.05) proportion of saturated fatty acids than PF carcasses. It is concluded that pasture-based finishing results in a more favorable fatty acid profile of meat and produces a healthier food, but the meat is darker and tougher.
