A note on muscle composition and colour of Holstein-Friesian, Piedmontese × Holstein-Friesian and Romagnola × Holstein-Friesian steers.

摘要

Holstein-Friesian (HF), Piedmontese × Holstein-Friesian (PM) and Romagnola ×Holstein-Friesian (RO) steers were compared for muscle composition and colour. Atotal of 120 steers in a 3 breed types (HF, PM and RO) × 2 feeding levels (low andhigh) × 2 finishing periods (short, S and extended, E) factorial experiment were used.Three samples of m. longissimus were taken for chemical analysis, measurement of driploss and Hunterlab colour measurements. Muscle moisture and protein concentrationswere lower, and lipid concentration was higher for HF than for PM and RO, which weresimilar. There were no effects of feeding level on chemical composition, but after bloomingall colour values except hue were lower for the higher feeding level. The E finishingperiod reduced moisture, protein, drip-loss, L (lightness), a (redness) and chromavalues. It is concluded that PM and RO had similar muscle composition but HF hada higher lipid concentration. Feeding level had few effects on muscle composition, butextended finishing increased all measures of fatness and reduced colour values.