The Study On Carcass Characteristics And Muscle Quality In Commercial Cattles

Objective: The sources of cattles and live cattle grades were investigated, andbeef quality was analyzed in order to demonstrate the sources of beef and the beefquality to consumers.Methods:(1)108commercial cattles were selected randomly and evaluated livecattle grades according to live cattle grades figures on the basis of the age of cattle, sex,body condition and weight. The sources of all commercial cattles were recordedrespectively.(2)On comparative analyses of quality of beef in commercial cattles, the cattleswere selected randomly to compare their meat quality, according to cattle’s weights108cattles were arranged to four groups with401kg below,401-500kg,501-600kg,601kg above. The indexes of cattles were determined which included slaughtered liveweight, carcass weight, slaughtered rate, beef color, fat color, backfat thickness,marbling, shearing force and eyemusclearea. The partition weight was calculated byformula, and divided into different grades.(3)The normal nutrition of beef was determined included water, protein, fat andash content. The determination of water was used directed drying, and protein wasdetermined by the Kjeldahl method, fat was used by Soxhlet extraction and ash contentwas used by weight loss of high temperature burning.Results: The main results of this study were:(1)The most live cattle grades were optimal grade range, and less was super grade,and the percentage of bulls was higher; The main sources of cattles was Luoyangsurrounding areas, and especially Sanmenxia.(2)The results showed that four group carcass weight showed significantdifference (P <0.01), but no significant difference in slaughter percentage(P>0.05);The beef color were deeper and the fat color were more white and shearing force were smaller (P>0.05)with age and weight increase. There no significant marbling trend (P>0.05) in different weight groups. Backfat thickness were more thick with the weightincreases beside between two groups(401kg below and501-600kg)(P <0.05). Theeyemusclearea were larger and there were significant difference between401kg belowand other groups (P <0.01) with the body weight increasing. There was more partitionweight with the more body weight (P <0.01).(3)The nutrient compositions of beef quality were determined, and commercialcattles were divided according to cattle’s weights, which were arranged to four groupswith401kg below,401-500kg,501-600kg,601kg above. They were found that themoisture content was no significant difference(P>0.05); The highest group of beefprotein content was501-600kg group, which protein content was higher0.49%than401-500kg group, and the two groups were significant difference(P <0.05), and theother groups protein content were no significant difference(P>0.05). Fat content of601kg above was2.05%, which was the lowest group, and the highest group was401-500kg, and there were no significant difference among4groups; The ash content of401kg below was the lowest, which was lower0.88%than highest group(501-600kg),and and there were no significant difference among4groups.Conclusions:(1)The live cattle grades were most optimal grade in thecommercial cattles, which percentage of the bulls was higher. The consumption of beefin Luoyang market was from Sanmenxia which was main source of cattles.(2)Theresults showed that the commercial cattles’ weight was heavier, the beef quality wasbetter, and that is to say the commercial beef meat quality was better.(3)There werethe advantages of high protein, low fat in the experimental beef, and it is to say thecommercial beef meets with consumed standard of meat products and it is the meatproducts which consumers select first.