FATTY-ACID PATTERN AND CHARACTERISTIC CRI TERIA OF MEAT QUALITY IN FATTENING BULLS OF THE CROSSES LIMOUSIN TIMES BLACK-AND-WHITE DAIRY-CATTLE AND FLECKVIEH TIMES BLACK-AND-WHITE DAIRY-CATTLE AND OF THE YELLOW CATTLE BREED

Each time 10 young bulls of the crosses Limousin x Black-and-White dai ry cattle and Fleckvieh x Black-and-White dairy cattle and of the Yell ow cattle breed were fed on diets consisting of maize silage, chopped wheat straw and concentrates. Average daily gains of the animals in th e three groups were 998, 1083 and 1122 g, respectively. At slaughter, samples of m. longissimus dorsi (8th-10th rib) and of kidney and pelvi c fat were taken. M. longissimus dorsi was analysed for nutrients,fatt y acid pattern by gas chromatography as well as for various physical, chemical, subjective and sensorial meat quality criteria. Depot fat wa s analysed for fatty acid pattern. There were no significant differenc es between the animals in the three groups as far as nutrient content (fat: 2.1-2.8; protein: 22.2-22.4% of fresh matter) and energy content (6.2-6.5 kJ/g) are concerned. Fat in depot and meat of the Yellow cat tle bulls showed significantly lower proportions of C-14 and C-16 fatt y acids and more C-18 fatty acids than that of the crossbreds. Muscula r fat of the bulls had significantly more palmitoleic and oleic acids than depot fat. Among the meat quality criteria studied there were sin gnificant differences between Yellow cattle bulls and crossbred bulls only as Far as area of m. longissimus dorsi, marbling and distribution of fat are concerned. However, crossbred bulls showed higher values f or tenderness and juiciness of meat, but they differred not significan tly from the Yellow cattle bulls.