Diet and genotype effects on the quality index of beef produced in the Argentine Pampeana region

N J Latimori; A M Kloster; P T García; F J Carduza; G Grigioni; N A Pensel

doi:10.1016/j.meatsci.2007.10.008

Diet and genotype effects on the quality index of beef produced in the Argentine Pampeana region

Meat Sci. 2008 Jul;79(3):463-9. doi: 10.1016/j.meatsci.2007.10.008. Epub 2007 Oct 22.

Authors

N J Latimori¹, A M Kloster, P T García, F J Carduza, G Grigioni, N A Pensel

Affiliation

¹ Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Marcos Juárez. INTA, CC 21, 2580 Marcos Juárez, Córdoba, Argentina.

PMID: 22062907
DOI: 10.1016/j.meatsci.2007.10.008

Abstract

Steers of varying genotypes (Aberdeen Angus, Charolais x AA and Argentine Holstein) in four feeding systems were evaluated. Feeding systems were: S1=a diet based on pastures only; S2=a similar forage base as S1 plus a daily supplementation with cracked corn, at 0.7% of l.w./head/day; S3=a similar forage base as S1 plus a daily supplementation with cracked corn, at 1.0% of l.w./head/day; and S4=a regular feedlot diet. Tenderness and marbling were not affected by the feeding system. Feedlot meat showed an n-6/n-3 ratio significantly higher than meat produced with the diets based on pastures (S1=2.1; S2=3.1; S3=4.5; S4=14.2) (P<0.05), whereas CLA content had an inverse behavior, showing S1 (0.67%) and S2 (0.64%) higher concentrations than S3 (0.55%) and S4 (0.28%) (P<0.05). Diet based on pastures plus a low level of supplementation produced meat with better nutritional characteristics than other productive alternatives, without significant effects of the biotypes.