BERNDT, A.

CARDOSO, D. R.

NASSU, R. T.

TULLIO, R. R.

VIDAL, M. P.

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60th International Congress of Meat Science and Technology, 17- 22rd August 2014, Punta Del Este, Uruguay  CARCASS CHARACTERISTICS AND COMMERCIAL MEAT CUTS WEIGHTS FROM NELLORE STEERS FED YERBA MATE   M.P. Vidal1,2*, R.R. Tullio1, R.T. Nassu1, A. Berndt1, D.R. Cardoso2   1 Embrapa  Southeast Livestock, São Carlos, Brasil 2 Chemistry Institute at São Carlos, University of São Paulo, São Carlos, Brasil  *mariliavidal@yahoo.com.br  Abstract – This study aimed to evaluate carcass characteristics and meat cut weights from cattle fed diets supplemented with different levels of yerba mate (0%, 0.5%, 1%, and 1.5% w/w). Forty-eight Nellore steers with an average age of 21 months and an initial weight of 419 kg were individually fed during 94 days with the same base diet, differing only by yerba mate content. The animals were slaughtered and after 24 hours of chilling, carcass characteristics (hot carcass weight, carcass yield, rib eye area and backfat thickness) were evaluated and cuts from the forequarter (blade and shin, hump, chuck and neck, brisket) and sawcut (strip loin, tenderloin, rump cover, topside, flat, eye round, knuckle and  shank) were weighed.  The beef was separated from the bones and the excess fat was trimmed, as the Brazilian commercial system. The addition of yerba mate to the cattle diet did not affect any variable analyzed.   Key Words – antioxidants, forequarter, Ilex paraguariensis St. Hilaire, sawcut, spare ribs  I.  INTRODUCTION  Antioxidants retard or inhibit oxidation of other substances by inhibiting the initiation or propagation of oxidizing chain reactions [1]. Synthetic and natural  antioxidants have been used to retard or minimize food oxidative deterioration. Natural antioxidants are substances with different chemical characteristics, which are widely present in plants. Consequently, natural antioxidants can protect the biologically important cellular components from oxidative processes caused by reactive oxygen species [2]. In meat industry, quantitative and qualitative carcass characteristics have a fundamental importance because they are directly related to the final product. Carcass yield is directly related to meat production, expressed as a percentage of hot carcass weight relative to live weight. Carcass is usually divided into primary cuts to be commercialized (forequarter, sawcut and spare ribs (Figure 1).    Fig. 1 - Subdivision of the half carcass in primal cuts: forequarter, sawcut and spare ribs. These cuts weights have a great importance to the meat industry, because carcasses with excessive fat will be more trimmed, generating greater economic losses [3]. It is economically desirable a higher yield of hindquarter cuts toward others, because of their higher commercial value. However, regardless breeds, animal tends to keep within certain limits a balance between the forequarter and hindquarter [4]. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of yerba mate supplementation in the diet of Nellore cattle finished on feedlot and evaluate carcass characteristics and weights of different meat cuts from these animals.   II. MATERIALS AND METHODS Forty-eight Nellore steers were randomly assigned in individual pens and fed the same diet. The diets (Table 1) were differentiated only by the presence of different levels of yerba mate extract (0%, 0.5%, 1% and 1.5% w/w). Animals were fed twice a day, during 94 60th International Congress of Meat Science and Technology, 17- 22rd August 2014, Punta Del Este, Uruguay  days. Then they were submitted to food and water fasting for 16 hours before slaughter, which was held in a commercial abattoir. Table 1 - Composition of rations (% dry matter) Ingredients Treatments 1 2 3 4 Yerba mate extract 0 0.5 1 1.5 Kaolin 1.5 1 0.5 0 Corn silage 43 43 43 43 Ground corn grain 51.3 51.3 51.3 51.3 Soybean meal 1 1 1 1 Urea 1 1 1 1 Limestone 1 1 1 1 Mineral supplement 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2 Monensin 0.03 0.03 0.03 0.03 Nutrients (%)         Crude protein 11 11 11 11 TDN 72 72 72 72 TDN=total digestible nutrients  After slaughter, hot carcasses were weighed for further evaluation of carcass yield. Then, carcasses were chilled overnight at 2°C and rib eye area and backfat thickness were measured. Weights from the forequarter cuts (blade and shin, hump, chuck and neck, brisket) and from the sawcut (strip loin, tenderloin, rump cover, topside, flat, eye round, knuckle and shank) were obtained according to the routine adopted at the commercial abattoir.  The experimental design was completely randomized with four treatments and twelve replications, with analysis of variance and regression depending on the levels of yerba mate added to the animal diet. For statistical analysis, XLSTAT [5] software was employed.  III. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION  The different levels of yerba mate extract did not affect (P>0.05) any carcass characteristics (Table 2).  The results obtained for HCW and CY are similar to those obtained by [6] who reported 278.2 kg HCW and 57.76% CY for Nellore steers finished in feedlot. Values obtained for HCW are also similar to those obtained by [7], who presented results obtained from feedlot Nellore and slaughtered with similar final live weight. The mean values for CY (56.18%) are in the range of variation considered adequate (53-59%) to Nellore cattle [8].    Table 2 - Carcass characteristics, according to different levels of yerba mate extract   Treatments P value SE   0% 0.5% 1% 1.5% HCW (kg) 291.6 288.9 292.0 283.0 0.804 10.248 CY (%) 55.82 56.11 56.24 56.57 0.624 0.571 REA (cm²)  56.29 55.73 56.25 56.81 0.825 1.142 BFT (mm) 10.83 13.33 9.00 10.25 0.155 1.902 HCW=hot carcass weight; CY=carcass yield; REA=rib eye area; BFT= backfat thickness; SE = standard error.  The mean values obtained for REA (56.27 cm²), are similar to those 58.56 cm² observed by [8]. All values obtained for REA are close to those found in Nellore steers finished in feedlot [6, 9]. External fat protects carcasses from dehydration during chilling. The minimum external backfat thickness required by the Brazilian beef industry, to avoid penalty in carcass pricing, is 3 mm [10]. All animals showed more than 3 mm back fat thickness. According to the values presented in Table 3, the addition of yerba mate extract did not affect (P > 0.05) any forequarter meat cuts. Table 3 - Forequarter meat cuts weights (kg), according to different levels of yerba mate extract.    Cuts  Treatments P value SE 0% 0.5% 1% 1.5% Blade and shin 16.4 16.6 17.0 16.6 0.734 0.591 Hump 4.6 5.0 4.4 4.4 0.353 0.422 Chuck and neck 17.1 16.9 16.6 16.4 0.818 0.749 Brisket 7.8 7.6 8.0 7.5 0.501 0.357 SE=standard error  The values from all forequarter meat cuts weights are slightly lower than those presented by [11], however it can be explained by the fact that the animals from this study were a few months older than those used by the authors [11]. The mean values presented for blade and shin (16.7 kg), chuck and neck (16.8 kg) and brisket (7.7 kg) are similar to those obtained (13.98, 14.42 and 8.36 kg, respectively) by [12] for Nellore finished in feedlot. In general, the values for all variables are homogeneous between treatments and are similar to those obtained for Nellore finished in feedlot [6, 11]. 60th International Congress of Meat Science and Technology, 17- 22rd August 2014, Punta Del Este, Uruguay   The addition of yerba mate extract also did not affect (P>0.05) sawcuts weights, as shown in Table 4. Table 4 - Sawcuts meat weights (kg), according to different levels of yerba mate extract   Cuts  Treatments P value SE 0% 0.5% 1% 1.5% Strip loin 8.5 8.3 8.3 7.9 0.317 0.356 Tenderloin 1.9 1.9 2.0 1.9 0.649 0.078 Rump cover 1.2 1.1 1.2 1.1 0.174 0.034 Topside 10.1 10.1 10.5 10.0 0.525 0.382 Flat 5.4 5.5 5.6 5.4 0.822 0.251 Eye round 2.7 2.7 2.7 2.6 0.952 0.134 Knuckle 5.5 5.4 5.7 5.5 0.392 0.202 Shank 4.3 4.3 4.4 4.3 0.955 0.166 SE=standard error  Weights obtained for strip loin, tenderloin, rump cover, outsideflat and eye round are similar to those obtained by [6]. Weights presented for topside, knuckle and shank are close to those observed by [11]. Mean weights obtained for striploin (8.29 kg) and topside (10.20 kg) are similar to 9.10 kg and 8.76 kg respectively, obtained by [12]. It demonstrates that meat cuts weights obtained are similar to those reported for Nellore steers finished in feedlots.  These results are part of a project whose goal was fed Nellore steers yerba mate extract supplemented diets and evaluate possible changes at the meat oxidative stability. Based on meat cuts weights presented we can say that the use of yerba mate extract on the animals diets can improve meat quality, without reducing the market value of the animal.    IV. CONCLUSION  The addition of yerba mate extract to animal diet did not affect carcass characteristics neither commercial meat cuts weights. The similarity between meat cuts weights from the different levels of yerba mate shows that it is possible to produce homogeneous meat cuts from animals fed diets with yerba mate extract, without affecting carcass characteristics.   ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS  This research is part of the bilateral Brazilian/Danish Food Science Research Program “BEAM - Bread and Meat for the Future” supported by São Paulo Research Foundation - FAPESP (Grant 2011/51555-7) and by the Danish Research Council for Strategic Research (Grant 11-116064). The authors special thanks for support given by the experimental fields staff, technical staff and students of Meat Analysis Laboratory (LAC) from Embrapa Southeast Livestock.   REFERENCES  1. Velasco, V., Williams, P. (2011). Improving meat quality through natural antioxidants. Chilean Journal of Agricultural Research 71: 313-322. 2. Su, L., J.-J. Yin, D. Charles, K. Zhou, J. Moore, L. Yu. (2007). 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Carcass characteristics and commercial meat cuts weights from nellore steers fed yerba mate.

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Carcass characteristics and commercial meat cuts weights from nellore steers fed yerba mate.

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