National Beef Quality Audit-2016: Transportation, mobility, and harvest-floor assessments of targeted characteristics that affect quality and value of cattle, carcasses, and by-products

The National Beef Quality Audit-2016 (NBQA-2016) was conducted to assess current transportation, mobility, and quality characteristics of U.S. fed steers and heifers. Data were collected at 17 beef processing facilities between March and November 2016. About 8,000 live cattle were evaluated for transportation and mobility, and about 25,000 carcasses were evaluated on the slaughter floor. Cattle were in transit to the slaughter facility for a mean duration of 2.7 h from a mean distance of 218.5 km using trailers with dimensions ranging from 17.84 m2 to 59.09 m2. Area allotted per animal averaged 1.13 m2 and ranged from 0.85 m2 to 2.28 m2. A total of 96.8% of cattle received a mobility score of 1 (walks easily, no apparent lameness). Identification types (35.1% had multiple) were lot visual tags (61.5%), individual tags (55.0%), electronic tags (16.9%), metal-clip tags (9.2%), bar-coded tags (0.05%), wattles (0.01%), and other (2.6%). Cattle were black-hided (57.8%), Holstein (20.4%), red-hided (10.5%), yellow-hided (4.8%), gray-hided (2.9%), brown-hided (1.3%), and white-hided (1.1%). Unbranded hides were observed on 74.3% of cattle; 18.6% had brands located on the butt, 6.3% on the side, and 1.3% on the shoulder (values exceed 100% due to multiple brands). For hide-on carcasses, 37.7% displayed no mud or manure; specific locations for mud or manure were legs (40.8%), belly (33.0%), tail region (15.5%), side (6.8%), and top-line (3.9%). Cattle without horns represented 83.3% of the sample, and cattle that did have horns measured: \u3c 2.54 cm (5.5%), 2.54 to 12.7 cm (8.3%), and \u3e 12.7 cm (2.9%). Carcasses without bruises represented 61.1% of those sampled, whereas 28.2% had 1, 8.2% had 2, 2.1% had 3, and 0.3% had 4 bruises. Of those carcasses with a bruise, the bruise was located on the loin (29.7%), round (27.8%), chuck (16.4%), rib (14.4%), and brisket/plate/flank (11.6%). Frequencies of offal condemnations were livers (30.8%), lungs (18.2%), viscera (16.3%), hearts (11.1%), heads (2.7%), and tongues (2.0%). Compared to NBQA-2011, fewer cattle were identified for traceability, fewer were black-hided, a greater number were Holstein cattle, more with no brand and no horns, fewer without bruises, more liver, lung, and viscera condemnations, and fewer heads and tongues were condemned. The NBQA remains an influential survey for the U.S. beef industry to provide benchmarks and strategic plans for continued improvement of beef quality and consistency

Communion Service (Apr. 11, 1989)

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Benchmarking the Differences Between Cow and Beef Muscles

Some muscles from the different populations of cows evaluated have similar chemical and physical properties to muscles from A-maturity, USDA Select grade cattle. Perhaps those muscles from cows could be utilized in a manner that would increase their value. Fifteen carcasses were selected from five populations (fed beef cows, non-fed beef cows, fed dairy cows, non-fed dairy cows, and Select grade beef) and nine muscles per carcass were characterized. Most muscles from cows were darker in color, had higher pH values, and had greater heme iron content than muscles from younger cattle, which may be undesirable to consumers. Supplemental technology may be needed to upgrade muscles from cow carcasses

Benchmarking carcass characteristics and muscles from commercially identified beef and dairy cull cow carcasses for Warner-Bratzler shear force and sensory attributes

The objective of this study was to benchmark carcasses and muscles from commercially identified fed (animals that were perceived to have been fed an increased plane of nutrition before slaughter) and nonfed cull beef and dairy cows and A-maturity, USDA Select steers, so that the muscles could be identified from cull cow carcasses that may be used to fill a void of intermediately priced beef steaks. Carcass characteristics were measured at 24 h postmortem for 75 carcasses from 5 populations consisting of cull beef cows commercially identified as fed (B-F, n = 15); cull beef cows commercially identified as nonfed (B-NF, n = 15); cull dairy cows commercially identified as fed (D-F, n = 15); cull dairy cows commercially identified as nonfed (D-NF, n = 15); and A-maturity, USDA Select grade steers (SEL, n = 15). Nine muscles were excised from each carcass [m. infraspinatus, m. triceps brachii (lateral and long heads), m. teres major, m. longissimus dorsi (also termed LM), m. psoas major, m. gluteus medius, m. rectus femoris, and m. tensor fasciae latae] and subjected to Warner-Bratzler shear force testing and objective sensory panel evaluation after 14 d of postmortem aging. Carcass characteristics differed (P &#;&#;0.05) among the 5 commercially identified slaughter groups for the traits of lean maturity, bone maturity, muscle score, HCW, fat color, subjective lean color, marbling, ribeye area, 12th-rib fat thickness, and preliminary yield grade. Carcasses from commercially identified, fed cull cows exhibited more (P &#;&#;0.01) weight in carcass lean than did commercially identified, nonfed cull cows. There was a group &#;&#;muscle interaction (P = 0.02) for Warner-Bratzler shear force. Warner-Bratzler shear force and sensory overall tenderness values demonstrates that muscles from the SEL group were the most tender (P &#;&#;0.01), whereas muscles from the BNF group were the least tender (P &#;&#;0.01). Sensory, beef flavor intensity was similar (P &#;&#;0.20) among cull cow carcass groups and more intense (P &#;&#;0.01) than the SEL carcass group. Muscles from the SEL group exhibited less (P &#;&#;0.01) detectable off-flavor than the cull cow carcass groups, whereas the B-NF group exhibited the most (P &#;&#;0.01) detectable off-flavor. Although carcass and muscle quality from commercially identified, fed, cull beef and dairy cows was not similar to Amaturity, USDA Select beef, they did show improvements when compared with nonfed, cull, beef and dairy cow carcasses and muscles

Replacing Traditional Enhancement Solutions with Alkaline Electrolyzed Water Does Not Improve Pork Shelf Life

Sixty-four whole pork loins (Institutional Meat Purchase Specifications 413) were procured from a national supplier and randomly assigned to 4 treatments across 2 replications to evaluate the use of alkaline electrolyzed reduced water as a replacement for traditional salt and phosphate based enhancement solutions. Treatments included: alkaline electrolyzed reduced water (EOH; pH≈11.5), EOH plus 2.5% potassium lactate (EOK), industry standard (IS; 0.35% Sodium Tri-polyphosphate, 0.14% sodium chloride, 2.5% potassium lactate), and no enhancement (CON). After enhancement to a target of 110% raw loin weight, chops were cut (2.54-cm), vacuum packaged, and placed in simulated retail display for 30 d to determine treatment effects on objective and subjective shelf life color and lipid oxidation. Despite the alkaline nature of the enhancement solution, EOH chops were lighter in color (L*; < 0.05) and less red ( < 0.05) but had greater proportions of deoxymyoglobin ( < 0.01) than IS chops across all days of retail display. Subjective color panelists rated the average color of EOH chops as brighter purplish-pink ( < 0.05) with less muscle darkening ( < 0.05) than both IS and CON. Additionally, EOH enhanced chops exhibited greater ( < 0.05) lipid oxidation than all other treatments. Although the addition of potassium lactate to EOH (EOK) was intermediate to EOH and IS for most measures, the use of alkaline electrolyzed reduced water as a pork enhancement solution was not able to maintain similar color or lipid oxidation properties when compared to a traditional salt and phosphate based enhancement solution and is therefore not recommended

Spectral Marker for C_α Damage in Beta Peptides

The work in this article describes a spectral signature for the detection of a C_α radical damaged peptide, which should enable the use of infrared spectroscopic methods to directly monitor oxidative events. Spectra for radical damaged peptides are computed with ab initio methods. The amide bands A, I, II, and III are analyzed for trends in the damage site. The spectral signature is found in a region (i.e., 1700–1620 cm^–1) normally void of vibrational absorption bands from stable undamaged beta peptides. An analysis of the vibrational motions of the spectral signature is described. The uniqueness of the spectral signature is explored by an examination and comparison with C_α monoradicals and polyradicals, as well as with other bioradicals that could act as spectral interferences. The identification of unique infrared spectral features for C_α damage could have important implications in diagnostics for beta conformational peptides damaged by oxidative stress processes