SOME ANALYTIC CHARACTERISTICS OF MEAT QUALITY IN FATTENING BULL, STEERS AND HEIFERS OF VARIOUS BREEDS AND THEIR CROSSBREEDS

Various beef breeds and their crossbreeding products are used in Thuri ngia at present in suckler and nurse cow systems. In a study of severa l years it was examined whether the various genetic origins differ not only in fattening performance and carcass composition but also In mea t quality characteristics. The results obtained so far may be summariz ed as follows: Among the nutritive components of meat mainly intramusc ular fat content (IFM) and proportion of pure muscle protein vary, whi le water, crude protein, muscle protein and nonprotein nitrogen conten ts vary relatively little. Fatty acid pattern of intramuscular fat sho ws great differences between the experimental groups as far as unsatur ated fatty acids are concerned. Mainly the animals of the breeds beef Fleckvieh, Salers and Montbeliard show high proportions of unsaturated fatty acids. L, a* and b* values 48 hours and 14 days p. m., absorba bility of dissolved meat extraction liquors and reflection within the visual range of minced meat 14 days p. m. were compared in 27 animals as characteristic values of meat colour. Because of the higher variati on of reflection it is recommended to measure meat colour 14 days p. m .