Meat acceptability of crossbred bulls fed a high-grain feedlot diet with antimicrobials and a blend of organic trace minerals and yeast

Abstract

Context Natural products, organic trace minerals and yeast have been studied for use as alternatives to antibiotics in improving meat quality and acceptability of bulls finished in feedlots. Aims This study was conducted to evaluate acceptability to consumers of meat from feedlot-finished bulls fed diets containing antimicrobials with or without a natural product based on organic trace minerals and live yeast. Methods Crossbred (European × Nellore) bulls (n = 24, age 24 ± 3 months, weight 385.5 ± 3.8 kg) were fed one of four diets: control, without additives; and three diets that included monensin (ionophore, at 30 mg/kg DM intake) alone or with virginiamycin (antibiotic, at 30 mg/kg DM intake) or with a supplement comprising organic minerals and live Saccharomyces cerevisiae (30 g/100 kg bodyweight). Mineral and microbiological analyses of meat were conducted, and consumer perception of the products, including effects of aging and length of display, was measured. Key results No differences in meat mineral levels were found among treatments (P > 0.05). Consumer acceptability was not modified (P > 0.050) by diet with respect to meat odour, flavour, tenderness and overall acceptability. Meat aged for 7 days had higher scores (P < 0.001) than meat aged for 1 day for all studied attributes except odour (P > 0.05). In the first 7 days of display, meat from bulls fed monensin or monensin + supplement blend had the highest visual acceptability scores (P < 0.001). For all diets, visual acceptability decreased with display time after 5 days (P < 0.001). During the first week of display, consumers showed greatest willingness to buy meat from the treatments with monensin or monensin + supplement blend (P < 0.001). Conclusion A combination of monensin and mineral–yeast blend may be beneficial to meat acceptability and shelf life and promote consumer willingness to buy. Implications Combinations of organic mineral and yeast with conventional additives such as monensin are suitable as supplements to increase meat quality of cattle finished in feedlots and fed high-grain diets.