EFFECT OF AGING AND AGE AT SLAUGHTER ON MEAT QUALITIES OF MAJOR PRIMAL CUTS FROM BEEF OF ARSI, BORAN, HARAR AND HOLSTEIN- FRIESIAN CROSSBRED BULLS IN OROMIA, ETHIOPIA

Abstract

The study was conducted to evaluate the effects of aging duration and age on qualities of major primal meat cuts from beef of Arsi, Boran, and Harar and HF Crossbred bulls. A total of 24 bulls in two age categories of 2-3 and 4-5 years were used for the study. Before slaughter experimental animals were managed at experimental beef Farm of Haramaya University for 90 duration. The bulls were feed 40% concentrate and 60% roughage. After slaughter the carcass was fabricated and samples of major primal meat cuts were collected for evaluation. A total of 96 samples from major primal beef cuts from chuck, loin, rib, and round were collected to evaluate in 5, 10, 14 and 21 aging duration. Beef quality parameters namely; WBSF, WHC, pH, CL, and color (L*, a*, b*) were evaluated. Factorial split plot in CRD was used for the study design thus, breed and age were considered as main factor and meat cuts and aging duration were considered as sub factor and sub- sub factor respectively. Breed and age had significant source of variation (P<0.05) on qualities of major primal meat cuts. Boran bulls exhibited lower WBSF than Arsi, Harar and HF- Crossbred bulls. Furthermore, loin cuts from Boran breeds were the tender over other cuts (WBSF, 25.78N) however, round cuts from Arsi breed where the toughest cuts (41.61N). WBSF and WHC significantly (P<0.05) influenced by age of animals. The lowest LSM shear force was obtained from 2-3 age category than 4-5 age category moreover, loin cut from 2-3 age category was obtained the lowest WBSF (28.35N) record while, chuck cut from 4-5 age category exhibited the highest SF (37.64). Aging duration had a very highly significant source of variation (P<0.0001) on qualities of the present study. Moreover, the result of the present study highlights the possibilities of using beef from Harar and HF Cross breed cattle for export purpose to the Middle East countries in addition to beef from Boran breed which was used for the purpose in the past. The difference in the tenderness of the major primal cuts warrants the possibilities of introducing cut based pricing in the future.