DERIVATION OF AN EQUATION TO ESTIMATE MARROW CONTENT OF BOVINE CERVICAL-VERTEBRAE

Marrow content of bovine cervical vertebrae from Choice- and Select-gr ade carcasses weighing 294 to 343 kg was determined so that a method t o monitor the amount of marrow in meat from advanced meat/bone separat ion machinery and recovery (AMR) systems could be developed. The marro w determination requires cleaning and then asking bones. Because a lar ge difference in ash content of bone and bone marrow exists and becaus e cartilage content of cervical vertebrae in Choice and Select beef is relatively constant, it was possible to derive the following equation : Weight of marrow [weight of cartilage (% ash in cartilage - % ash in bone) + % ash in bone (total weight) - (total ash)]/[(% ash in bone - % ash in marrow)]. Constants for ash in fresh bone, marrow, and carti lage were 58.51, .57, and 2.14% with SD of 2.23, .15, and .30%, respec tively. A cartilage content of 9.5% along with cervical vertebrae weig ht and total ash weight were also used to calculate 33.9% marrow in ce rvical vertebrae. Means for marrow pressed or centrifuged from bovine cervical vertebrae were lower than those obtained from the equation. T herefore, pressing and centrifuging left. some marrow in spongy bone. Our ashing method for determining the amount of marrow in whole cervic al vertebrae should be useful for determining marrow remaining in cerv ical vertebrae of bone cakes from AMR systems. Percentage ash in press ed bones is higher and the calculated marrow content is lower when pre ssed bones are compared to cervical vertebrae that are not pressed. Th e amount of marrow in whole cervical vertebrae minus the amount left i n cervical vertebrae from bone cakes equals the amount in meat from AM R systems.