Contents

Series list

Introduction

Part 1 Breeding and growth

Part 2 Management of cattle

Part 3 Quality traits

Part 4 Emerging trends

Summary

Part 1 Breeding and growth

Chapter 1 Biological types of cattle: carcass and meat quality

1 Introduction

2 The origins of cattle breeds

3 Breeds and biological types of cattle

4 Carcass and meat quality

5 Future trends

6 Where to look for further information

7 References

Chapter 2 Traditional animal breeding of cattle to improve carcass composition and meat quality

1 Introduction

2 EBVs and expected progeny differences: fundamentals

3 Advantages of using EPDs over using raw data and ratios

4 Selection response

5 Genetic parameter estimates

6 Examples of successful selection

7 Index-based selection

8 Summary and future trends

9 Where to look for further information

10 References

Chapter 3 Muscle fibre types and beef quality

1 Introduction

2 Body and muscle composition and structure

3 Muscle fibre types

4 Variation in muscle fibre type proportions: intrinsic factors

5 Variation in muscle fibre type proportions: additional factors

6 Impact of muscle fibre type on carcass and meat quality

7 Conclusion

8 Where to look for further information

9 References

Chapter 4 Factors affecting fat content and distribution of fat in cattle and carcasses

1 Introduction

2 Origin of adipocytes in beef fat depots

3 Ontogeny of fat development

4 Factors influencing fat development

5 Factors influencing fatty acid composition of fat depots

6 Summary and future trends

7 References and further reading

Part 2 Management of cattle

Chapter 5 Beef cattle nutrition and its effects on beef quality

1 Introduction

2 Early weaning nutrition

3 Nutrition in stocker or backgrounding systems for steers and heifers

4 Nutrition in feedlots/finishing systems

5 Vitamins A, E and growth promotors

6 Grass-fed and/or forage-based finishing systems

7 Summary

8 Where to look for further information

9 References

Chapter 6 Effects of metabolic modifiers on beef carcass composition and meat quality

1 Introduction

2 Anabolic steroid implants: introduction and the effect of single-implant programmes on carcass composition

3 Anabolic steroid implants: the effect of multiple implant (reimplant) programmes on carcass composition

4 Anabolic steroid implants: the effect of anabolic steroid implants on meat quality

5 Beta-adrenergic agonists: ractopamine hydrochloride (RH)

6 Beta-adrenergic agonists: zilpaterol hydrochloride (ZH)

7 Vitamins D3, A and E 

8 Somatotropin

9 Summary

10 Where to look for further information

11 References

Chapter 7 Understanding the effects of handling, transportation, lairage and slaughter on cattle welfare and beef quality

1 Introduction

2 Beef quality

3 Fitness for transport, loading and responses to transportation

4 Road type, driving events, stocking density and thermal environment during transportation

5 Journey duration, feed and water provision, and the use of livestock markets

6 Lairage

7 Handling and movement of cattle through lairage and to the stunning pen

8 Overview of the slaughter process

9 Methods of stunning

10 Exsanguination

11 Case study: auditing systems

12 Summary

13 Future trends in research

14 Where to look for further information 

15 References

Chapter 8 The effects of carcass chilling and electrical stimulation on visual beef quality and palatability

1 Introduction: beef quality and consumers

2 Chilling and rigor mortis

3 Electrical stimulation, visual beef quality and palatability

4 Factors influencing the effectiveness of ES

5 Meat quality defects related to ES

6 Effective chilling of beef carcasses and the role of ES in quality management

7 Future research

8 General summary

9 Where to look for further information

10 References

Part 3 Quality traits

Chapter 9 Beef colour development and variation

1 Introduction

2 Myoglobin forms and beef colour

3 Factors affecting meat colour

4 Case study 1: mitochondria effects on colour deviation

5 Case study 2: effects of ante-mortem stress on beef colour

6 Summary

7 Future trends

8 Where to look for further information

9 References

Chapter 10 Beef carcass grading and classification

1 Introduction

2 The purposes of classification and grading

3 Beef classification versus grading in Australia

4 Beef carcass classification in Europe

5 Beef grading in the United States

6 Beef grading in Japan

7 Summary

8 Where to look for further information

9 References

Chapter 11 Branded beef programmes

1 Introduction

2 The characteristics, history and types of branded beef programmes

3 The growth and economics of branded beef programmes

4 The brand effect

5 Natural and organic branding

6 International branded beef programmes

7 Technology and branded beef programmes

8 Summary and future considerations

9 Where to look for further information

10 References

Chapter 12 Ageing, physical and chemical methods for improving tenderness and palatability of beef

1 Introduction

2 Ageing of beef products 

3 Physical methods to improve eating quality: carcass methods

4 Physical methods to improve eating quality: primal methods

5 Chemical methods to improve eating quality

6 Conclusions

7 Where to look for further information

8 References

Chapter 13 Factors affecting flavour development in beef

1 Introduction to flavour

2 Beef aromas

3 Factors affecting beef flavour: nutrition and genetics

4 Factors affecting beef flavour: beef composition and processing

5 Factors affecting beef flavour: cooking

6 Assessing the flavour of beef products

7 Conclusion

8 Where to look for further information

9 References

Chapter 14 Packaging systems for beef retailers and their effects on visual quality and palatability

1 Introduction

2 The colour of fresh and ground beef

3 Traditional aerobic packaging

4 Vacuum packaging

5 Centralized packaging

6 Modified atmosphere packaging

7 Active packaging

8 Intelligent packaging

9 Additional issues: moisture control and reducing packaging waste

10 Conclusions

11 Where to look for further information

12 References

Chapter 15 Measuring and assessing beef quality and sensory traits for retailers and consumers

1 Introduction

2 Sensory evaluation

3 Quality grading

4 Instrumental assessment of marbling measurements

5 Shear force measurements for tenderness

6 Juiciness and flavour assessments

7 Post-harvest optimization of palatability

8 Optimization of assessment and future research

9 Where to look for further information

10 References

Chapter 16 The role of beef in human nutrition and health

1 Introduction

2 Macronutrients in beef

3 Micronutrients in beef

4 Beef intake and health concerns

5 Summary

6 Where to look for further information

7 References

Part 4 Emerging trends

Chapter 17 The future of DNA technologies for improving beef quality: marbling, fatty acid composition and tenderness

1 Introduction

2 Genotyping and sequencing technologies in the genomic era

3 Genomic selection and genome-wide association studies

4 Genomic selection in beef cattle

5 Genomic selection and genome-wide association studies of beef quality traits

6 Future trends

7 Where to look for further information

8 References

Chapter 18 The sustainability and ‘carbon footprints’ of conventional and alternative beef production systems

1 Introduction

2 Defining sustainability

3 GHG emissions and carbon footprints

4 Trends in beef sustainability

5 Sustainability of alternative (grass-fed, natural, organic) beef production systems

6 Opportunities for improving and maintaining beef sustainability

7 The role of consumers

8 Conclusion

9 Where to look for further information

10 References

Chapter 19 Controversies surrounding the impact of the fat content of beef on human health

1 Introduction

2 Beef and CVD

3 Beef and diabetes

4 Fatty acid composition of beef

5 Food-based dietary recommendations and nutrient density

6 Beef and other health research

7 Conclusion

8 Where to look for further information

9 References

Index