Rodriguez Eduardo E, Hamblen Heather, Flowers Sara, Leal Joel D, Carr Chad, Scheffler Tracy, Mateescu Raluca G
Department of Animal Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32608, USA.
Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, CA 92093, USA.
Transl Anim Sci. 2023 Feb 17;7(1):txad021. doi: 10.1093/tas/txad021. eCollection 2023 Jan.
The quality grade system used in the United States to identify carcasses with superior eating satisfaction to consumers is based on the amount of marbling within the ribeye and the maturity of the carcass. However, the most important quality attribute for consumers is tenderness. The objective of this study was to investigate the phenotypic correlations between carcass and meat quality traits of strip loin steaks from Brangus steers, particularly the relation between the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) quality grade and tenderness. Warner-Bratzler shear force (WBSF) values in this study averaged 5.10 ± 0.96 kg, slightly higher than the national average of 4.55 ± 1.14 kg. Average WBSF across all quality grades ranged from 4.90 to 5.27 kg with standard deviations ranging from 0.78 to 1.40 kg. In the present Brangus steer population, there was a weak negative (-0.13) but favorable correlation ( < 0.05) between marbling score and tenderness measured through WBSF. The USDA quality grade had a significant ( = 0.02) effect on WBSF. The WBSF least square means were significantly higher in the Select compared with the Choice¯, and Choiceº quality grades. The Choice⁺ and Prime quality grades were not significantly different from any quality grades regarding the WBSF. The standard quality grade did not have significantly different WBSF least square means from any other quality grade. The range of WBSF values was large, especially in the lower quality grade categories, indicating that there is considerable variation in tenderness, even within quality grade. The high level of variation in tenderness within USDA quality grades highlights the limitation of the USDA grading system to predict eating quality or tenderness.
美国用于识别能让消费者获得更高食用满意度的胴体的质量等级系统，是基于肋眼肌内大理石花纹的数量和胴体的成熟度。然而，对消费者来说最重要的质量属性是嫩度。本研究的目的是调查布兰格斯阉牛里脊牛排的胴体和肉质性状之间的表型相关性，特别是美国农业部（USDA）质量等级与嫩度之间的关系。本研究中沃纳-布拉茨勒剪切力（WBSF）值平均为5.10±0.96千克，略高于全国平均水平4.55±1.14千克。所有质量等级的平均WBSF范围为4.90至5.27千克，标准差范围为0.78至1.40千克。在目前的布兰格斯阉牛群体中，大理石花纹评分与通过WBSF测量的嫩度之间存在微弱的负相关（-0.13）但具有显著相关性（<0.05）。USDA质量等级对WBSF有显著影响（=0.02）。与精选级、特选级和高级质量等级相比，选择级的WBSF最小二乘均值显著更高。在WBSF方面，特选+级和顶级质量等级与其他任何质量等级没有显著差异。标准质量等级的WBSF最小二乘均值与其他任何质量等级没有显著差异。WBSF值的范围很大，尤其是在较低质量等级类别中，这表明即使在质量等级内，嫩度也存在相当大的差异。USDA质量等级内嫩度的高度变化突出了USDA分级系统在预测食用品质或嫩度方面的局限性。
