A REVIEW OF DIETARY VITAMIN-E SUPPLEMENTATION FOR IMPROVEMENT OF BEEFQUALITY

Color is a primary factor used by consumers to judge beef quality, esp ecially freshness. Recent studies indicate that dietary supplementatio n of vitamin E to beef cattle increases the alpha-tocopherol concentra tion in muscle and its membranous subcellular fractions. The increased tissue alpha-tocopherol concentration protects not only membranal lip ids but also myoglobin from oxidation. This results in delayed onset o f discoloration in fresh, ground, and frozen beef and in suppression o f lipid rancidity, especially in fresh, ground, and frozen beef and le ss so in cooked beef. Extension of beef color display life depends on dose level and duration of dietary vitamin E, muscle, and aging period . Cumulative results of experiments conducted to date indicate that be ef from animals that receive 500 IU/steer daily of vitamin E for 126 d could assuredly benefit the domestic retail market by extending color display life. Implementation of this technology by the beef industry requires development of a method for rapid determination of a-tocopher ol concentration in muscle samples collected on the day of harvest.