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ARS Home » Northeast Area » University Park, Pennsylvania » Pasture Systems & Watershed Management Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #340310
Title: Influence of growth promoting technologies on animal performance,production economics, environmental impacts and carcass characteristics of beef

Author
item WEBB, MEGAN - South Dakota State University
item PENDELL, DUSTIN - Kansas State University
item HARTY, ADELE - South Dakota State University
item SALVERSON, ROBIN - South Dakota State University
item Rotz, Clarence - Al
item UNDERWOOD, KEITH - South Dakota State University
item OLSON, KEN - South Dakota State University
item BLAIR, AMANDA - South Dakota State University

Submitted to: American Meat Science Association Conference Reciprocal Proceedings
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/15/2017
Publication Date: 6/18/2017
Citation: Webb, M.J., Pendell, D.L., Harty, A.A., Salverson, R.R., Rotz, C.A., Underwood, K.R., Olson, K.C., Blair, A.D. 2017. Influence of growth promoting technologies on animal performance,production economics, environmental impacts and carcass characteristics of beef. American Meat Science Association Conference,June 18,2017,College Station,Texas. P.1.

Interpretive Summary: No Interpretive Summary is required. JLB.

Technical Abstract: Objectives: The objectives of this project were to 1) evaluate meat quality characteristics, and 2) identify consumer palatability and label preferences for beef produced with varied levels of technology to facilitate production and marketing decisions and enhance consumer knowledge and trust in beef. Materials and Methods: Beef striploins (n = 72) were collected from cattle raised using four different production systems: 1) no antibiotics or growth promotants (NA); 2) non-hormone treated (NHTC); 3) implant (IMPL); and 4) implant plus a beta-agonist (IMBA). Cattle were slaughtered at a commercial facility and marbling scores were obtained prior to striploin collection. During fabrication, striploins were faced and faced samples were frozen for later analysis of crude fat percentage. Steaks (2.54 cm) were fabricated from striploins, vacuum packaged, aged 14 d before freezing, and designated for WBSF and consumer panel analysis. To determine the influence of production information on consumer preferences, untrained consumer panelists (n=105) were recruited from a major urban population in the US for three consecutive panels: Blind (1; samples served with no information provided); Disclosed without meat (2; only production description evaluated; and Disclosed with meat (3; samples and production description evaluated). Panelists were fed repeated samples of each of the four treatments and were instructed to identify their most and least preferred samples. The relative preference for each sample was estimated by analyzing shares of preference (SOP) for each treatment based on best-worst scaling. Results: The marbling score and ether extractable fat percentage of NA and NHTC did not differ (P > 0.05) but were greater (P = 0.05) than IMPL and IMBA, which were similar (P > 0.05). Steaks from the NA and NHTC treatments did not differ (P > 0.05) for WBSF though were more tender (P = 0.05) than IMPL and IMBA, which were not different. Steaks from NHTC had less (P = 0.05) cook loss than IMPL and IMBA but were not different (P > 0.05) from NA. Further, cook loss of NA was less (P = 0.05) than IMPL but did not differ (P > 0.05) from IMBA. In panel 1, when no information was provided, NA was most preferred (P = 0.05) and IMBA was least preferred (P = 0.05) while NHTC and IMPL were intermediate and similar (P > 0.05). When asked to select the most and least preferred production descriptions in panel 2, all descriptions differed (P = 0.05) with NA most preferred followed by NHTC, IMPL, and IMBA. All samples differed (P = 0.05) when information was disclosed and meat was consumed in panel 3 but NHTC was most preferred followed by NA, IMPL and IMBA. Pairwise comparisons of panel 1 versus panel 3 revealed SOP increased (P = 0.05) for NA and NHTC when production information was provided but decreased (P = 0.05) for IMPL and IMBA. Conclusion: Growth promoting technologies increased WBSF, which may be detectable by untrained consumer panelists as natural treatments captured greater shares of preference in both blind and disclosed panels. When production information was disclosed and palatability was assessed, NHTC was the most preferred followed by NA, indicating that when information is provided consumers are accepting of meat from an animal that may have been treated with an antibiotic in the event of illness.