Abstract:
The study was conducted to determine the relation between Body Condition Score, Ethiopian Beef
Classification System and Instrumental Tenderness of cattle slaughtered at local and export
abattoirs in Ethiopia. A total of 350 samples were randomly selected from two municipal
abattoirs and two local abattoirs to determine instrumental tenderness, live weight, carcass
weight, body condition score, conformation grade, age, fat cover and breeds of cattle slaughtered
in the abattoirs. 150 and 200 samples collected from the municipal abattoirs and export abattoirs
respectively. The overall mean tenderness value for the whole animal selected was 4.32 + 0.21
pound or 18.78 + 0.91 N. The mean tenderness value for dry season and wet season was 3.21 +
0.13 pound (13.96 + 0.01 N) and 5.99 + 0.38 pound (26.04 + 1.65 N), respectively. The mean
tenderness value for the first municipal abattoir was 4.46 pound (19.39 N) and the mean
tenderness value for the second municipal abattoir was 3.78 pound (16.44 N). More cattle
(37.14%) slaughtered at the abattoir under study had body condition score of 5. The mean value
for live weight and carcass weight was 239.56 + 2.56 and 121.33 + 1.40 kg, respectively. The
conformation and fat grade of carcass in the studied abattoirs was about 2 based on score out of
3 in Ethiopian beef carcass classification system. The mean value of age based on dentition and
ossification was 3.19 + 0.05 and 3.40 + 0.05 years, respectively. Correlation between degree of
conformation, fat cover and tenderness didn’t show significant difference (P<0.05). From the
study it was concluded that the body condition score and Ethiopian beef classification system can
be good indicators of tenderness of beef
