IMPROVED STORAGE AND DIETETIC PROPERTIES OF CARCASS FAT TISSUES IN GROWING HOLSTEIN AS WELL AS CHAROLAIS X HOLSTEIN BULLS FED FULL-FAT RAPESEED

48 bull calves were fattened according to 3 production systems to a fi nal average live-weight of 539 kg. The production systems consisted of 2 x 16 Holstein bulls supplied with 1 kg and 3 kg of concentrate per head per day, respectively, and of 16 Charolais x Holstein crossbreds receiving 2.4 kg concentrate per head per day. Within each of the prod uction systems, animals were fed with two different rations containing concentrates with no or 30% of coarsly ground full-fat rapeseed (acco rding to 3%, 10%, and 8% of total feed DM intake in the 3 production s ystems). The influence of feeding full-fat rapeseed on growth performa nce and on carcass as well as meat quality was weak. The fatty acid pa ttern of pelvic fat, subcutaneous fat, and intermuscular fat was signi ficantly and similarly affected by rapeseed in all production systems. The fat tissues contained more mono- and poly-unsaturated fatty acids and, consequently, a significantly higher PIS ratio than the correspo nding tissues of the bulls fed without rapeseed, whereas only minor gr oup differences in penetrometer firmness, melting and congealing tempe ratures, and yellowness of the fat tissues occurred. The diet containi ng full-fat rapeseed significantly enhanced fat shelf life particularl y in pelvic fat. In subcutaneous and intermuscular fat, but not in pel vic fat, in the Holstein bulls a dose-relationship between the levels of rapeseed and shelf life prolongation was noted.