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Accelerated versus Conventional Beef Production and Processing^1,2,

Kansas State University, Manhattan 66506

Abstract

Twenty-four 8-mo-old Angus x Hereford (A x H) reciprocal crossbred steers and 28 3/8 Simmental x 1/4 Chianina x 3/8 Angus or Hereford steers (S x C) were utilized to study two production systems and two carcass-processing systems. One-half of each type was allotted by weight (257.6 kg average) to either an accelerated (ACC) or conventional (CONV) production system. The ACC system consisted of feeding an 85% concentrate diet for 140 d to A x H cattle and for 180 d to S x C cattle. The CONV system included backgrounding on prairie hay and sorghum grain for 140 d (A x H) and 183 d (S x C) before finishing on an 82% concentrate diet (116 d for A x H and 122 d for S x C). The ACC system resulted in lower (P<.05) metabolizable energy to gain ratios (ME/G) and lower costs of gain. Cattle on the ACC system were slaughtered younger and at lighter weights (P<.05) and had lower (P<.05) yield grades and quality grades than CONV cattle. The S x C-ACC cattle had a lower (P<.05) ME/G and tended to have a lower cost of gain than A x H-ACC cattle. The S x C cattle had lower (P<.05) yield grades and higher (P<.05) percentages of carcass tissue water than A x H cattle. The S x C cattle had lower (P<.05) quality grades than A x H cattle. The ACC system resulted in higher (P<.05) longissimus (LD) and semimembranosus (SM) tenderness scores than the CONV system and equal flavor and juiciness scores. Economic analyses suggest that S x C-ACC cattle had the lowest break-even live price and lowest cost/kg retail product. The S x C-CONV cattle tended to have the highest break-even live price, whereas A x H-CONV cattle had the highest cost/kg retail product. The ACC processing involved electrical stimulation (ES) of each carcass right side at 1 h postmortem for 2 min with 400 V, 1 amp and a frequency of 60 Hz. At 2 h postmortem the inside round and boneless shortloin were hot-boned (HB) and chilled 6 d at 2 to 4 C. The control (C) side was chilled 48 h, boned, and muscles stored 4 d at 2 to 4 C. The ESHB resulted in slightly (P<.05) faster LD pH declines. The ESHB LD steaks had higher (P<.05) juiciness scores, but were not different in flavor or tenderness compared with C steaks. The ESHB treatment resulted in higher (P<.05) SM shear values and lower (P<.05) sensory-panel tenderness scores than those of C. The LD display-color scores did not differ (P>.05) between ESHB and C treatments. The combination of S x C cattle and ACC production was more attractive economically than CONV production of A x H cattle.

¹ Contribution No. 85-11-J, Dept. of Anim. Sci. and Ind., Kansas Agr. Exp. Sta., Manhattan 66506.

² The authors are grateful to the Roman L. Hruska U.S. Meat Animal Research Center, AR-SEA, USDA, Clay Center, NE 6893 3 for providing the cattle used in this research.

³ Present address: 1121 West Center Street, Dallas, TX 75090.

⁴ Present address: Bartlett Cattle Co., Kansas City, MO 64112.

⁵ Present address: Swift & Co., Kansas City, KS 66102.

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