Beef traits and meat quality characterisation in three French beef production systems with Salers, Aubrac and Gascon bulls

Abstract

Beef traits, muscle characteristics of the Longissimus thoracis and meat quality attributes were measured on a representative sample of young Salers, Aubrac and Gascon bulls in order to characterise a specific beef production system for each breed. Young Salers bulls were slaughtered at 19 months of age. They got the poorest conformation and their meat the highest collagen and lipids contents with the coarsest muscle fibres. Young Aubrac bulls were fattened at 24 months of age after a 5 month fattening period following a grazing rearing period. They were the leanest and got the highest pigment content. The Gasconne young bulls were slaughtered at the youngest age (16 months) and got the best slaughter yield, the lowest pigment content and the thinnest muscle fibres. Instrumental measures of meat quality showed the Salers young bulls had the darker and tougher meat, with the higher water holding capacity when grilling. The relationships between sensory meat quality attributes and muscle characteristics showed that flavour predominantly depends on intramuscular lipids content while tenderness is related to pH, muscle fibre size and collagen content.