Fatty acid composition, cooking loss and texture of beef patties from meat of bulls fed different fats.

The effect of fatty acid composition on the properties of patties standardised to contain 15% fat was studied. Patties were made of beef from 36 Brown Swiss bulls fed on six different diets with five of them containing additional fats to achieve a high variability in body lipid composition. When the feed contained fullfat oilseeds (rapeseed, sunflower seed, linseed), the proportions of some nutritionally favourable fatty acids were increased in the patties. Patties made from the meat of bulls fed linseed and coconut oil could be distinguished in a sensory triangle test from most other groups. Cooking loss and instrumental texture properties showed no relation to fatty acid composition of patties. Cooking only slightly decreased the proportion of saturated fatty acids in favour of polyunsaturated fatty acids. In conclusion, widely differing dietary fats can be fed to bulls without risking major effects on texture of beef patties.