Chemical properties of cow and beef muscles: Benchmarking the differences and similarities

¹ Department of Animal Science, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE 68583-0908
² Department of Animal Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611
³ National Cattlemen's Beef Association, Englewood, CO 80155

^* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: ccalkins1{at}unl.edu.

	Abstract

The objective of this study was to identify muscles from cow populations that are equivalent or may possibly be made equivalent to muscles from A-maturity, Select-grade cattle in terms of chemical, compositional, and color characteristics. Objective color, expressible moisture, proximate composition, pH, heme iron concentration, and total collagen content were determined for nine muscles (M. gluteus medius, M. infraspinatus, M. longissimus dorsi, M. psoas major, M. rectus femoris, M. tensor facia latae, M. teres major, M. triceps brachii lateral-head, and M. triceps brachii long-head) from fifteen cattle from each of five commercially identified populations (fed beef cows (B-F), non-fed beef cows (B-NF), fed dairy cows (D-F), non-fed dairy cows (D-NF), and A-maturity, Select-grade cattle (SEL)). Muscles from B-F and B-NF populations were more similar to the SEL than the D-F and D-NF. There were two muscles, the M. infraspinatus and M. teres major, from the population of B-F that were very similar, both physically and chemically, to SEL in most traits. The majority of the nine muscles from cows did not differ (P < 0.05) from SEL for percent expressible moisture, proximate composition, and total collagen content. However, notable differences in pH, objective color L*, total pigment content, and heme iron content existed between cow populations and SEL. The muscles from SEL had significantly (P < 0.05) lower total pigment and heme iron concentrations. These differences likely relate to the visual appearance of muscles from the different populations of cattle. Two of the nine muscles studied were similar among cow populations and A-maturity, Select-grade beef.

Key Words: Cow muscles, A-maturity muscles, Similarities, Differences, Beef

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