Characterisation of indigenous African cattle breeds in relation to meat quality traits

Meat qualify characteristics of two Sanga (indigenous) breeds (Afrikaner an d Nguni), one indigenous composite breed (Bonsmara), one foreign composite breed (Santa Gertrudis) and two continental breeds (Brown Swiss and Pinzgau er) were compared. Means were adjusted for mean overall subcutaneous fat le vel (4.7%). Meat tenderness was then related to certain muscle characterist ics. Shear force measurements indicated that Santa Gertrudis (SG) meat was significantly less tender than that of the two continental breeds and the t hree indigenous breeds (P < 0.05). Pairwise linear correlations showed that differences found in background toughness (connective tissue) among breeds did not have a significant effect on tenderness. However, higher myofibril lar fragmentation indices, as well as lower white muscle fibre percentages for the three indigenous breeds, especially the two Sanga breeds, proved th eir potential to produce meat of comparable tenderness to that of continent al breeds under specific slaughter and post-slaughter conditions. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.