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18 pages, 553 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Meat Quality Traits in Beef from Heifers: Effect of including Distiller Grains in Finishing Pasture-Based Diets

by Manuela Merayo, Dario Pighin, Sebastián Cunzolo, Mariela Veggetti, Trinidad Soteras, Verónica Chamorro, Adriana Pazos and Gabriela Grigioni

Agriculture 2023, 13(10), 1977; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture13101977 - 12 Oct 2023

Viewed by 1918

Abstract

Distiller grains (DG), which are the by-product from the bioethanol industry, represent an interesting alternative as animal feedstock. To our knowledge, little information is available on the inclusion of DG on the quality of meat from pasture-fed heifers. Thus, the aim of the [...] Read more.

Distiller grains (DG), which are the by-product from the bioethanol industry, represent an interesting alternative as animal feedstock. To our knowledge, little information is available on the inclusion of DG on the quality of meat from pasture-fed heifers. Thus, the aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of DG inclusion in pasture-based systems on the main meat quality attributes of Charolais x Aberdeen Angus heifers. For this purpose, meat from heifers fed with a pasture-based diet without supplementation (P) or with 0.75% of live weight DG supplementation (PDG; DG plus dry-rolled corn, 50:50) or with 0.75% of live weight dry-rolled corn supplementation (PRC) was evaluated. Physical (pH, WHC, color, texture), sensory and nutritional (fat content, fatty acid, and amino acid profile) attributes were evaluated in beef samples. No effect of supplementation was observed on meat pH or color (p > 0.05). Meat from PDG heifers showed higher values of WBSF than meat from P heifers (p = 0.039). However, the overall tenderness evaluated by trained panelists showed no differences due to supplementation (p > 0.05). Our results indicate that the inclusion of DG as a partial corn-replacement supplementation for heifers under grazing represents a strategic tool not only related to meat quality, but also as an alternative to reduce food–feed competition. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Agricultural Meat Products: Processing, Product Quality and Food Safety)

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12 pages, 1072 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Effect of Protein Derivatives and Starch Addition on Some Quality Characteristics of Beef Emulsions and Gels

by Daniela Ianiţchi, Livia Pătraşcu, Floricel Cercel, Nela Dragomir, Iulian Vlad and Marius Maftei

Agriculture 2023, 13(4), 772; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture13040772 - 27 Mar 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1848

Abstract

Starch and plant or animal proteins represent a rich source that can be used for fortifying meat products. The present study aimed to analyze how the different additives used (soy protein isolate, chickpea flour, lupine concentrate, sodium caseinate and starch, in 2% concentration) [...] Read more.

Starch and plant or animal proteins represent a rich source that can be used for fortifying meat products. The present study aimed to analyze how the different additives used (soy protein isolate, chickpea flour, lupine concentrate, sodium caseinate and starch, in 2% concentration) influence the rheological properties of beef emulsions and gels, cooking losses and the texture of the finished products. Rheological parameters G’ (storage modulus), G* (complex modulus) and Delta angle were determined by increasing the temperature from 5 to 70 °C, with a rate of 1 °C/min. The study highlighted that the addition of vegetable proteins (soy, chickpeas and lupine) improved strength of meat gels (G’ > 1057.8 Pa), while the addition of sodium caseinate and starch reduced the consistency of the gel network structure (G’ < 1057.8 Pa). All additions led to a decrease in heat treatment losses (a reduction of maximum 62% of cooking loss, from 11.89% for control to 4.54% in case of samples with added starch) and the hardness of heat-treated products. The maximum reduction of hardness was observed for samples with added starch, from 2.83 kgf to 1.08 kgf. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Agricultural Meat Products: Processing, Product Quality and Food Safety)

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12 pages, 599 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effects of Ewe’s Diet Supplementation with Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids on Meat Lipid Profile of Suckling Lambs

by Luis Cal-Pereyra, José Ramiro González-Montaña, Karina Neimaur Fernández, Mayra Cecilia Abreu-Palermo, María José Martín Alonso, Valente Velázquez-Ordoñez and Jorge Acosta-Dibarrat

Agriculture 2023, 13(3), 710; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture13030710 - 18 Mar 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2172

Abstract

Polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) deposition in lambs’ muscles could be influenced by their mothers’ diet. The aim was to study the profile of fatty acids in the muscle of lambs from ewes supplemented with different sources of PUFA to achieve a healthier meat [...] Read more.

Polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) deposition in lambs’ muscles could be influenced by their mothers’ diet. The aim was to study the profile of fatty acids in the muscle of lambs from ewes supplemented with different sources of PUFA to achieve a healthier meat for the consumer. On day 100 of gestation, pregnant ewes grazed on natural grass were divided into three groups (n = 20) and supplemented with PUFA: Group A: 700 g of a ration rich in PUFA, Group B: 700 g of a ration for sheep + 20 mL of fish oil and Group C: 700 g of the same ration. After parturition, each group was subdivided: ten ewes continued with the same diet until the end of lactation; the other ten were fed only natural grass. The values of n-3 and n-6 PUFA and alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), linoleic acid (LA) and arachidonic acid (AA) were analyzed in Longissimus lumborum muscles of lambs at 90 and 120 days of life. The feeding of ewes during lactation favorably influenced the lipid profile of the lamb muscle, increasing the concentration of n-3 and n-6 PUFA, ALA, LA, AA, DHA and EPA. The supplementation of ewes with fish oil and/or a ration rich in PUFA improved the LA/ALA ratio in lambs’ meat. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Agricultural Meat Products: Processing, Product Quality and Food Safety)

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19 pages, 900 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effect of Zilpaterol Hydrochloride and Zinc Methionine on Growth, Carcass Traits, Meat Quality, Fatty Acid Profile and Gene Expression in Longissimus dorsi Muscle of Sheep in Intensive Fattening

by Manuel Guerrero-Bárcena, Ignacio Arturo Domínguez-Vara, Ernesto Morales-Almaraz, Juan Edrei Sánchez-Torres, José Luis Bórquez-Gastelum, Daniel Hernández-Ramírez, Daniel Trujillo-Gutiérrez, Miguel Angel. Rodríguez-Gaxiola, Juan Manuel Pinos-Rodríguez, Gisela Velázquez-Garduño and Fernando Grageola-Nuñez

Agriculture 2023, 13(3), 684; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture13030684 - 15 Mar 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2588

Abstract

Zilpaterol hydrochloride (ZH) redistributes ingested energy and improves feed efficiency by increasing muscle mass and reducing fat in sheep and cattle carcasses in fattening; however, by increasing lipolysis and reducing intramuscular fat (IMF), it can affect meat quality in terms of the attributes [...] Read more.

Zilpaterol hydrochloride (ZH) redistributes ingested energy and improves feed efficiency by increasing muscle mass and reducing fat in sheep and cattle carcasses in fattening; however, by increasing lipolysis and reducing intramuscular fat (IMF), it can affect meat quality in terms of the attributes of tenderness, juiciness, taste and color; in contrast, Zn methionine (ZM), due to its lipogenic effect, can improve meat marbling without affecting production efficiency. In the current study, 36 male Suffolk sheep were used (25 ± 0.58 kg live weight, LW) to evaluate the supply of ZH and ZM on growth, carcass traits, meat quality, fatty acid content and expression of genes which regulate the deposition of fatty acids (FA) in IMF. A completely randomized design was used, with factorial arrangement of 2 × 2 ZH (0 and 0.2 mg kg⁻¹ LW) and ZM (0 and 80 mg Zn kg⁻¹ dry matter, DM). The results showed that ZH increased (p < 0.05) carcass yield, compactness index and chop eye area and decreased greasing (p < 0.02). The content of ether extract in meat increased (p < 0.05) in sheep with ZM plus ZH, and in sheep with ZM (p < 0.01). ZH (p < 0.05) reduced (p < 0.02) the meat’s color index L*, a*, b*, C* and H*. The content in IMF of stearic (C18:0) and arachidic (C20:0) FA was reduced (p ≤ 0.05) by the effect of ZH, but the palmitoleic (C16:1), eicosatetraenoic (C20:4n6) and conjugated linoleic FA were increased (p ≤ 0.05) by the effect of ZH. ZM increased (p ≤ 0.05) palmitoleic (C16:1) and conjugated linoleic FA; the ZH interaction with ZM increased (p ≤ 0.05) linoleic (C18:2 c 9 c 12), linolenic (C18:3 c 9c12c15) and eicosatetraenoic (C20:4n6) FA. The ZH interaction with ZM influenced (p ≤ 0.05) the total saturated fatty acids (SFA), unsaturated fatty acids (UFA) and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PFA). ZH increased (p ≤ 0.05) the relative expression of mRNA from the enzymes lipoprotein lipase (LPL), hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL), glycerol -3-phosphate acyltransferase (GPAT1) and diglyceride acyltransferase (DGAT1). ZM increased (p ≤ 0.05) the relative expression of mRNA from the enzyme gene acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC) and HSL, monoglyceride lipase (MGL). The ZM interaction with ZH increased (p ≤ 0.05) the relative expression of mRNA genes of the enzymes HSL and ACC. It was concluded that ZH improved feed conversion (FC), increased yield and reduced fat in carcasses; ZM increased IMF in Longissimus dorsi. ZH and ZM influenced the FA composition, reduced the SFA and increased the UFA and PFA; both additives also influenced the relative mRNA expression of genes involved in fatty acid metabolism. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Agricultural Meat Products: Processing, Product Quality and Food Safety)

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11 pages, 317 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effects on Growth Performance Parameters, Carcass Traits, Meat Nutrimental Quality and Intramuscular Fatty Acid Profile of Rabbits Fed with Diets with Avocado Waste (Persea americana Mill)

by Johana Paola Galeano-Díaz, Juan Edrei Sánchez-Torres, Ignacio Arturo Domínguez-Vara, Ernesto Morales-Almaraz, Javier German Rodríguez-Carpena, Fernando Grageola-Nuñez and Gema Nieto-Martinez

Agriculture 2023, 13(3), 549; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture13030549 - 24 Feb 2023

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2947

Abstract

The objective of this paper was to evaluate the effect of four levels (0%, 4.32%, 8.39% or 12.25%) of avocado waste (AW) included in the diets on productive performance, carcass characteristics and meat nutritional quality of fattening rabbits. For that, one hundred and [...] Read more.

The objective of this paper was to evaluate the effect of four levels (0%, 4.32%, 8.39% or 12.25%) of avocado waste (AW) included in the diets on productive performance, carcass characteristics and meat nutritional quality of fattening rabbits. For that, one hundred and twenty male rabbits (New Zealand × California; 945 ± 47 g initial body weight) were fed over 28 days, randomly distributed to one of the four treatments (T) (T1 = 0, T2 = 4.32, T3 = 8.39 and T4 = 12.25% AW as fed). The chemical and fatty acids profiles were evaluated in the Longissimus thoracis et lumborum (LTL) muscle. The rabbits fed with 8.39% of AW reported the best productive parameters (p < 0.05), the greater (p < 0.05) dissectible adipose tissue and higher polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) n-3 content (p < 0.05) than control meat. It is concluded that the inclusion of AW in the growing–finishing rabbit’s diet can modify the nutritional quality of the meat, reducing the n-6/n-3 ratio and the thrombogenic index. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Agricultural Meat Products: Processing, Product Quality and Food Safety)

13 pages, 580 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Antioxidant and Antibacterial Effect of Agaricus brasiliensis Extract on Raw and Cooked Pork Patties during Storage

by Rey David Vargas-Sánchez, Brisa del Mar Torres-Martínez, Nelson Huerta-Leidenz, Félix Joel Ibarra-Arias, Juana Fernández-López, Gastón Ramón Torrescano-Urrutia, José Ángel Perez-Alvarez and Armida Sánchez-Escalante

Agriculture 2023, 13(2), 346; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture13020346 - 31 Jan 2023

Viewed by 1765

Abstract

Edible mushrooms have been proposed as a natural ingredient to prevent loss of quality in meat products. This study aimed to compare the antioxidant and antibacterial effects of Agaricus brasiliensis aqueous-ethanol extract (ABE, at 0, 0.5, and 1.0%) versus butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT, 0.02% [...] Read more.

Edible mushrooms have been proposed as a natural ingredient to prevent loss of quality in meat products. This study aimed to compare the antioxidant and antibacterial effects of Agaricus brasiliensis aqueous-ethanol extract (ABE, at 0, 0.5, and 1.0%) versus butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT, 0.02% on a fat basis) added to raw and cooked pork patties to prolong shelf-life under chilled storage. All samples were stored at 2 °C for 9 days and subjected to physicochemical (pH, water-holding capacity, and color), chemical (lipid oxidation and antioxidant status), and microbiological evaluation (mesophilic and psychrophilic). Phenolic compounds (TPC) in ABE exert a reducing power ability (Fe³⁺ reduction), free-radical (DPPH), and radical-cation scavenging activity (ABTS), as well as antibacterial activity against Gram-positive bacteria than Gram-negative. Furthermore, incorporating ABE in raw and cooked pork patties reduced (p < 0.05) pH and color changes, lipid oxidation, and microbial growth during storage in concentration dependence. No differences (p > 0.05) were observed in the WHC and b* values. In addition, the presence of TPC and the antioxidant status (Fe³⁺ reduction, DPPH, and ABTS activity) of pork patties increased (p < 0.05) by the ABE incorporation. ABE can be a natural additive to improve the storage stability of pork patties. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Agricultural Meat Products: Processing, Product Quality and Food Safety)

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15 pages, 865 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Consumer Preferences for Processed Meat Reformulation Strategies: A Prototype for Sensory Evaluation Combined with a Choice-Based Conjoint Experiment

by Xinyi Hong, Chenguang Li, Liming Wang, Mansi Wang, Simona Grasso and Frank J. Monahan

Agriculture 2023, 13(2), 234; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture13020234 - 18 Jan 2023

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2497

Abstract

Consumption trends demand healthier meat products and require research into reformulation strategies. Ambiguities in consumer preferences for two processed meat reformulation strategies (i.e., ingredient “reduction” and nutrient “addition”) were investigated. Using physical prototypes of omega-3-enriched pork sausages and sensory evaluation to reduce hypothetical [...] Read more.

Consumption trends demand healthier meat products and require research into reformulation strategies. Ambiguities in consumer preferences for two processed meat reformulation strategies (i.e., ingredient “reduction” and nutrient “addition”) were investigated. Using physical prototypes of omega-3-enriched pork sausages and sensory evaluation to reduce hypothetical bias, followed by a choice-based conjoint experiment, results suggested that consumers valued both “addition” and “reduction” reformulation strategies, and consumers’ willingness-to-pay (WTP) premiums were the highest for omega-3 addition, followed by fat reduction, and were lowest for salt reduction. Moreover, WTP was influenced by sensory preferences and was positively correlated with sensory liking levels. Providing health-related information improved consumers’ sensory perceptions of omega-3-enriched sausages. Findings imply that reformulated healthier meat products are acceptable to consumers. Moreover, to enhance consumers’ valuation on new launches of healthier processed meat products, meat manufacturers should inform consumers of health-related reformulation information, provide consumers with opportunities to taste newly developed healthier processed meat products, and continuously optimize consumers’ sensory experience. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Agricultural Meat Products: Processing, Product Quality and Food Safety)

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21 pages, 1858 KiB

Open AccessReview

Consumer Attitudes and Concerns about Beef Consumption in Argentina and Other South American Countries

by Adrián Bifaretti, Enrique Pavan and Gabriela Grigioni

Agriculture 2023, 13(3), 560; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture13030560 - 25 Feb 2023

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 4991

Abstract

In South America, modifications in beef consumption habits, mainly related to economic reasons, new lifestyles, and new eating behaviors, are being observed. If this trend continues, beef consumption could continue to fall or there would be a greater share of cheaper types of [...] Read more.

In South America, modifications in beef consumption habits, mainly related to economic reasons, new lifestyles, and new eating behaviors, are being observed. If this trend continues, beef consumption could continue to fall or there would be a greater share of cheaper types of meat. In general, consumer concerns related to health, animal welfare, and environmental impact are increasing. Most of the population in South America follows an omnivorous diet, with a minority of vegetarians/vegans. In Argentina, around 30% consider themselves as flexitarians and around 5% as vegetarians/vegans, with centennials and millennials being the ones that mostly follow these types of behaviors. For flexitarians, the main reason that leads them to adopt this diet is the search for healthier eating. In general, consumers consider livestock production to be a sustainable activity; although, ethical concerns are growing among the younger generations. Finally, around 30% of the total population is willing to partially replace the consumption of beef to avoid animal slaughter and 8% would abandon it for this reason. The current trend would indicate that, if the conditions defined by the present scenarios continue, the motivations to consume less beef could be strengthened. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Agricultural Meat Products: Processing, Product Quality and Food Safety)

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