Application of tenderness thresholds to Cachena beef

Abstract

I. INTRODUCTION The Cachena is a highly hardy breed of cattle that is part of Portugal's genetic heritage.􀀃Breeding these cattle extensively is of great interest in the south-east of the Alentejo, an agricultural region with difficult climatic conditions and poor soils in Portugal. Cachena’s animals are small, and the meat is known for its excellent characteristics of texture and flavor [1]. Therefore, the determination of the ideal tenderness is of extreme importance for the producers and consumers. According to several studies on fresh meat, consumers are willing to pay a higher price for meat that is guaranteed as tender [2]. A threshold can be defined as a specific point on the sensory stimulus scale where a transition occurs in a series of sensations or judgments [3]. Ricardo-Rodrigues et al. [4] have established a beef tenderness thresholds as a proposal for a reliable and rapid screening index for beef samples, using the texture profile analysis (TPA) and Warner Bratzler shear force (WBSF) methods. According to the model proposed by Ricardo-Rodrigues et al. [4], a beef cut is tender when WBSF is below 39.60 N and simultaneously hardness from TPA is below 31.89 N. The use of both parameters allows to establishment of a tenderness screening index for beef samples. This study aims to assess the tenderness of various cuts of meat from young and adult Cachena animals. II. MATERIALS AND METHODS The animals were reared on a farm in Barrancos (South-east of Portugal) and were slaughtered at a slaughterhouse (Beja, South of Portugal). Two groups of animals were slaughtered: (A) 32 young animals aged between 9 and 20 months and the analysis of the tenderloin and sirloin cuts; (B) 33 adult animals aged between 5 and 12 years and the analysis of tenderloin, sirloin, knuckle, and silverside cuts. The instrumental texture evaluation was performed by assessing the hardness obtained in TPA and shear force obtained in WBSF in grilled meat 72 hours after slaughter. The samples were treated, and the parameters were analyzed as described by Ricardo-Rodrigues et al. [4]. Data were analyzed according to the analysis of variance (ANOVA) using StatisticaTM v. 12.0, software (StatSoft Inc., 1984–2014). Differences between groups were identified based on Tukey’s Honest Significant Difference (Tukey’s HSD) test (p < 0.05).