The effects of grade, gender, and postmortem treatment on beef. I. Composition, cutability, and meat quality

Abstract

A total of 195 beef carcasses of two genders (steers and heifers) and four Canadian carcass grades (A1, A2, B1, and B2) were evaluated to examine the effects of carcass grade, gender, and postmortem electrical stimulation on carcass composition, cutability (yield of specific primal cuts), and meat quality traits (traits related to appearance, palatability, yield, and consumer appeal). Cutability was not influenced by either grade or gender. Increased fatness appeared to be distributed equally in all portions (segments) of the carcass. Canadian beef carcass grades effectively segregated carcasses according to grade definitions for both composition and quality. Gender differences in quality generally reflected compositional differences observed between steers and heifers. High voltage electrical stimulation reduced shear force values, but exerted a greater influence on steer than heifer carcasses.