Effects of Postmortem time of calcium chloride injection on beef tenderness and drip, cooking, and total loss

The effect of postmortem time of calcium chloride (CaCl2) injection in conjunction with postmortem aging was determined on 16 beef semimembranosus muscles. Each muscle was cut into four equal segments that were randomly assigned: (1) no injection (control); (2) CaCl2 at 1 h postmortem; (3) CaCl2 at 12 h postmortem; or (4) CaCl2 at 24 h postmortem. Samples were injected with a 0·3 m solution of CaCl2 at 10% by weight. At 24 h postmortem, each segment was divided into two pieces that were randomly assigned to either a 10-day aging period (2°C) or to frozen storage (-29°C). Shear force values were higher (P \u3c 0·01) in control samples compared with injected samples and increased linearly (P \u3c 0·05) with time of injection. Drip loss was lower (P \u3c 0·01) in control samples compared with injected samples. A linear (P \u3c 0·05) effect was found for the increases in cooking and total loss due to injection time. Aging decreased (P \u3c 0·05) shear force values and cooking loss. CaCl2 injection at 1 h postmortem was most effective in reducing shear force values and preventing excessive moisture loss. However, injection at 12 or 24 h postmortem was also effective in lowering shear force values. © 1994

Effect of chromium picolinate on growth, body composition, and tissue accretion in pigs.

An experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of dietary chromium picolinate (CrP) on growth and body composition of pigs. Twenty-four barrows (three from each of eight litters) were randomly allotted within litter to one of three treatments: 1) basal (B) diet from 19.1 to 106.4 kg BW (Control); 2) B from 19.1 to 57.2 kg BW and then B + 200 ppb of chromium as CrP from 57.2 to 106.4 kg BW (CrP-F); and 3) B + 200 ppb of chromium as CrP from 19.1 to 106.4 kg BW (CrP- GF). Average daily gain and ADFI were reduced (P \u3c .08) and first rib fat thickness was increased (P \u3c .08) in pigs fed CrP-GF compared with pigs fed the Control diet. Specific gravity of the carcass was not affected (P \u3e .10) by treatment. Tenth rib fat was reduced (P \u3c .01) in pigs fed CrP-F compared with pigs fed CrP-GF, and percentage of muscle was increased in pigs fed CrP-F (P \u3c .09) compared with pigs fed either the Control or CrP-GF diets. Leaf fat (P \u3c .05) and lung weights (P \u3c .08) were reduced in pigs fed CrP-F compared with pigs fed CrP-GF. As determined by physical-chemical separation, pigs fed CrP-GF had an increased (P \u3c .07) percentage of intermuscular fat compared with pigs fed the Control or CrP-F diets. Pigs fed CrP-F had a lesser (P \u3c .07) percentage of total fat and a greater (P \u3c .07) percentage of muscle than pigs fed the Control or CrP-GF diets. As determined by mechanical-chemical separation, pigs fed CrP-F had a greater (P \u3c .10) percentage of moisture than pigs fed the Control diet and a lesser (P \u3c .10) percentage of fat and a greater (P \u3c .06) percentage of ash than pigs fed the Control or CrP-GF diets. Pigs fed CrP-GF had an increased (P \u3c .04) daily fat accretion compared with pigs fed CrP-F. Sensory and shear force values were not affected by CrP, with the exception that meat from pigs fed CrP-GF had a greater (P \u3c .10) shear force value than meat from pigs fed CrP-F. These results suggest that dietary supplementation of CrP in the finishing phase of pig production may increase muscle and decrease fat deposition; however, not all measures of muscling or fatness were improved by CrP

Sensory Traits of Brahman, Tuli x Brahman, Angus x Brahman, and Simmental x F-l (Brahman x Hereford) Steers

Last updated: 5/11/201

Sensory Traits of Brahman, Tuli x Brahman, Angus x Brahman, and Simmental x F-l (Brahman x Hereford) Steers

Last updated: 5/11/201

Effect of chromium propionate on growth, carcass traits, pork quality, and plasma metabolites in growing-finishing pigs1,2

Two experiments were conducted to determine the effects of dietary Cr, as Cr propionate, on growth, carcass traits, pork quality, and plasma metabolites in growing-finishing swine. Ninety-six crossbred gilts (Exp. 1; initial and final BW of 28 [SEM = 0.41] and 109 [SEM = 2.11] kg) or 144 PIC Cambrough 22 barrows (Exp. 2; initial and final BW of 26 [SEM = 0.39] and 111 [SEM = 2.52] kg) were allotted to six or four dietary treatments, respectively, with six replications and four (Exp. 1) or six (Exp. 2) pigs in each replicate pen blocked by weight in randomized complete block designs. The six dietary treatments for Exp. 1 were 1) corn-soybean meal (C-SBM), 2) C-SBM + 50 ppb Cr, 3) C-SBM + 100 ppb Cr, 4) C-SBM + 200 ppb Cr, 5) C-SBM low NE diet, and 6) C-SBM low NE diet + 200 ppb Cr. The four dietary treatments for Exp. 2 were C-SBM with 0, 100, 200, or 300 ppb Cr. Growth, carcass traits, and plasma metabolite (collected on d 29 and at each phase change) data were taken at the end of both experiments and pork quality data were taken at the end of Exp. 1. There was no effect (P \u3e 0.10) on overall growth performance when pigs were fed graded levels of Cr (Exp. 1 and 2) or Cr in the positive control or low NE diets (Exp. 1). Longissimus muscle area, ham weight, ham fat-free lean, and total carcass lean were increased in pigs fed 200 ppb in the positive control diets but decreased in pigs fed 200 ppb Cr in the low NE diets (Cr x NE, P \u3c 0.08). There was no effect of Cr concentration (P \u3e 0.10) on carcass traits in Exp. 2. In Exp. 1, cook loss of a fresh or a frozen chop was decreased (P \u3c 0.10) by 200 ppb Cr. In Exp. 1, NEFA concentration was decreased (P \u3c 0.05) in pigs fed Cr in the positive control or low NE diets during the early-finishing period. In Exp. 2, the addition of Cr decreased NEFA (quadratic, P \u3c 0.09) and plasma urea N (linear, P \u3c 0.02) concentrations and tended to increase total cholesterol and high density lipoproteins (quadratic, P \u3c 0.09). In these experiments, Cr propionate had no effect on overall growth performance, variable effects on carcass traits and plasma metabolites, and some positive effects on pork quality, especially water holding capacity of a fresh or frozen chop. ©2003 American Society of Animal Science. All rights reserved