Feeding and muscle type influencing texture parameters of beef from Nellore cattle. An approach using multiple regression.

Meat tenderness is an important attribute influencing consumers’ acceptability and satisfaction and is determined by many intrinsic and extrinsic factors. Muscle sources exhibit differences in biochemistry and composition, directly influencing beef texture. Fiber-type compositions can be changed based on the feeding system. In this sense, we hypothesize that muscle source and diet can individually influence beef texture parameters, and these effects can change during storage. To test our hypothesis were utilized 12 carcasses of Nellore bulls aged between 24 and 30 months and reared with two different feeding systems: pasture-raised (PAS; n = 6) and grain-fed (GRA; n = 6). Muscles longissimus lumborum (LL) and psoas major (PM) were sliced into 6 steaks of 2.54 cm and allocated randomly for texture profile during 9 days of storage at 4⁰C. We evaluated the effect of diet (GRA and PAS) and muscle source (LL and PM) on texture parameters (hardness, springiness, cohesiveness, chewiness) as a function of time. Two multiple linear regression models were performed with random effects for each response variable. Muscle source and diet influenced the texture profile of beef from Bos indicus animals. The change of LL to PM and GRA to PAS decreased hardness and chewiness and increased springiness and cohesiveness. Also, diet positively influenced cohesiveness on day 0. Muscle-specific strategies are indicated during meat processing to improve the texture attributes of beef from Bos indicus cattle.