Effect of Age of Cattle on Carcass Composition

How young meat and older meat tastes?

1. EFFECT OF AGE OF CATTLE ON CARCASS QUALITY VYSAKH MOHAN M 13-BVM-42 MEAT TECHNOLOGY UNIT, MANNUTHY

2. INTRODUCTION Increased interest is shown in factors which affect beef carcass composition and beef palatability In beef grading, a thorough investigation of the influence of animal age on carcass composition, meat characteristics, and palatability had carried out Animals within species, breeds or sexes differ in growth, development or maturation at different ages

3. SLAUGHTER OF FEMALE BEEF CATTLE AT DIFFERENT AGES Regulations Productive cattle In Kerala, female cattle of age more than 10 years can be slaughtered Unproductive cattle Slaughtered after inspecting the animal Below 2 years Less daily weight gain Less productive animals Failure to exhibit normal oestrous cycle Congenital defects

4. DIFFERENT ASPECTS CONSIDERED With increasing age Increasing / improving aspects Decreasing / worsening aspects Aspects with no change or unrelated with age

5. CONTROLS All characters except the age is considered non- variable But there are some factors which cannot be kept constant while considering age

6. SLAUGHTER AGE & WEIGHT

7. INCREASING / IMPROVING ASPECTS Shear force Protein content Hyp content Redness Muscle fiber diameter Density

8. MUSCLE MUSCLE FIBER DIAMETER AND DENSITY MUSCLE FIBER GAPS SARCOLEMMA ROUGHNESS

9. DECREASING / WORSENING ASPECTS Cooking loss Water content Lightness Muscle fiber gap

10. ASPECTS UNRELATED WITH AGE Intramuscular fat Ash Amino acids (AA) Minerals Elements

11. VEAL v/s BEEF VEAL Lighter colour Tender and tasty More fat and calories BEEF Denser Consistent taste Longer to cook

12. CONCLUSION This comparison only discusses about the animals less than 2 years of age There is much difference in meat from a calf and an aged cattle What we have to consider in age is still a confusion Physiological age or, Chronological age Physiological age is a much better one