Effect of cattle marketing method on beef quality and palatability

D. M. Ferguson; R. D. Warner; P. J. Walker; B. Knee

doi:10.1071/EA05213

RESEARCH FRONT (Open Access)

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Effect of cattle marketing method on beef quality and palatability

D. M. Ferguson ^A ^D ^E , R. D. Warner ^B , P. J. Walker ^B and B. Knee ^C

+ Author Affiliations

- Author Affiliations

^A CSIRO Livestock Industries F. D. McMaster Laboratory, Armidale, NSW 2350, Australia.

^B Department of Primary Industries, 600 Sneydes Road, Werribee, Vic. 3030, Australia.

^C Department of Primary Industries Victoria, Pastoral and Veterinary Institute, Hamilton, Vic. 3300, Australia.

^D Present address: Locked Bag 1, Armidale, NSW 2350, Australia.

^E Corresponding author. Email: drewe.ferguson@csiro.au

Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 47(7) 774-781 https://doi.org/10.1071/EA05213
Submitted: 11 April 2005 Accepted: 8 August 2006 Published: 2 July 2007

Abstract

This study was conducted to determine the effect of direct consignment compared with saleyard marketing on beef quality and palatability. A total of 258 cattle (mean carcass weight 227 ± 19 kg) from nine vendor properties in Victoria, Australia were used. From each vendor group (about 30 cattle/vendor), half were either: (1) processed through a saleyard and then sent to the abattoir or (2) directly consigned to the abattoir. All cattle were slaughtered at the same abattoir and the lairage and postslaughter management of the cattle and their carcasses was standardised. The cattle that had been directly consigned were slaughtered the day after dispatch from the property, whereas saleyard cattle were slaughtered 2 days after dispatch. Striploin (longissimus lumborum) samples were evaluated 1 day postslaughter and after 14 days aging. Overall, marketing method had only a small impact on the various meat quality measures and palatability. A significant vendor × marketing method interaction was found for most traits including muscle glycogen (semimembranosus and semitendinosus), pH (1, 3 and 24 h postslaughter), L^*, a^* and b^* colour values and consumer panel scores [tenderness, flavour and combined score (MQ4)]. Juiciness scores were unaffected by marketing method but were significantly influenced by vendor group (P < 0.001). For MQ4 score, there was a general trend showing that steaks from cattle that had been marketed through the saleyard had marginally lower MQ4 scores than those that had been directly consigned in five of the eight groups. However, this trend was only significant for two of the five groups. A significant three-way interaction between vendor group × marketing method × aging duration was found for shear force (P < 0.001) and cooking loss percentage (P < 0.001). The effect of marketing method on shear force was generally small and not always statistically significant but there was a trend indicating that saleyard marketing resulted in slightly higher shear forces at either 1 or 14 days postslaughter for the majority of the vendor groups. It was concluded that marketing method had a small but variable impact on palatability and meat quality.

Acknowledgements

The financial support from the Victorian Department of Primary Industries, Food Science Australia and Meat Standards Australia is gratefully acknowledged. This study could not have been possible without the generous support and cooperation from several industry collaborators including Frank White (Executive Officer, Livestock Saleyards Association of Victoria), David McKibbon (National Livestock Manager, Coles), Kevin Corcoran (Corcoran and Parker, Wodonga), Alan Hickey (Elders Pastoral, Camperdown), Ian Dwyer (P&R Meats) and John Skelton and his staff at Belandra abattoir. In addition, we would like to acknowledge the professional technical inputs of Janet Stark (Food Science Australia), Matthew Kerr, Paul Weston and Ann Payne (DPI).

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