Qualities of Primal Beef Cuts from Arsi, Boran, Harar, and Crosses of Holstein Friesian Cattle Breeds

Abstract

The study was conducted to evaluate the effects of breed, age, and aging duration on instrumental qualities of major primal beef cuts. For this purpose, a total of 24 bulls from Arsi, Boran, Harar, and Holstein Friesian (HF) crossbred cattle breeds slaughtered at the ages of 2-3 and 4-5 years were used. Experimental animals were fattened at the beef farm of Haramaya University based on a feed diet containing 40% concentrate and 60% roughages for 90 days duration. After slaughter, the carcass was fabricated and samples of major primal meat cuts were collected for evaluation of Warner Bratzler Shear Force (WBSF), water holding capacity (WHC), pH, cooking loss (CL), and color (L*, a*, b*) parameters. A total of 96 samples from chuck, loin, rib, and round were evaluated after aging meat samples for 5, 10, 14 and 21 days. The result of the study revealed that breed and age were significant sources of variation (P<0.05) for Warner Bratzler Shear Force value of meat cuts. Most beef cuts from Boran bulls exhibited lower Warner Bratzler Shear Force value than Arsi, Harar, and HF crosses. Loin cuts from Boran breeds were tender over other cuts (WBSF, 25.78N) however, round cuts from Arsi breed were the toughest cuts (41.61N). The lowest value of WBSF was obtained from bulls slaughtered at 2-3 compared to 4-5 years of age. WHC of primal cuts was significantly influenced by age at slaughter (P<0.05) and aging duration (P<0.0001). Breed of cattle was a significant source of variation (P<0.05) on pH value of chuck and loin cuts while aging duration was significant source of variation (P<0.0001) on pH of most primal cuts. Cooking loss of primal cuts was significantly influenced by breed (P<0.05) and aging days (P<0.0001). The lightness (L*) and the redness (a*) of the primal cuts were significantly influenced (P<0.001) by aging days while breeds of cattle had significant effect (P<0.05) the yellowness (b*) of primal cuts. The result of the study suggests the possibilities of using primal beef cuts from Boran, Harar, and HF-crosses for export purposes, particularly, when slaughtered at age 2-3 years.