Physical composition of carcass, commercial cuts and meat characteristics of crossbred Holstein-Zebu young bulls fed crude glycerin levels in the diets

Abstract

Assessment of carcass and meat characteristics of Holstein-Zebu crossbred young bulls finished in feedlot with crude glycerin levels (0, 60, 120, and 240 g kg-1 dry matter) in replace of ground pearl millet grain and babassu mesocarp bran mixture-based diets. Twenty four bulls 30-month-old and initial average body weight of 390 ± 31.5 kg were used. The animals were distributed in a completely randomized design with four treatments and six replicates. The absolute weight (kg) of commercial cuts did not fit any of the tested regression models. However, the weight of the short ribs and the pistol cut were higher for animals fed with crude glycerin in relation to those fed without inclusion of this food in the diet. The proportion of the commercial cuts, however, was not changed. The increase of the crude glycerin levels linearly increased the proportion of carcass fat and reduced the muscle proportion, without changing the proportion of bone and the edible portion of the carcasses. The ratio muscle/fat reduced linearly with the advance of crude glycerin level of diets. The color of the meat, evaluated subjectively, increased linearly with the advance of crude glycerin levels of the diets, from dark red to slightly dark red. The texture, marbling, shear force, thawing loss and cooking loss were not changed by dietary levels of crude glycerin. The inclusion of up to 240 g kg-1 of crude glycerin in the diets increases the proportion of fat without changing the marketable portion of carcasses. The benefits to the meat quality refer to the improvement of color, without changing the other characteristics of economic interest.