Fresh Beef Quality From Cattle Fed Field Peas During Pasture and Finishing Phases of Production

Abstract

This study evaluated the effects of field peas during 2 phases of production on fresh beef quality. Cattle (n = 228) were randomly assigned to one of 6 dietary treatments consisting of 3 pasture and 2 finishing supplementations. The pasture phase consisted of (1) no supplement, (2) field peas at 0.5% body weight, or (3) dry-rolled corn supplement at 0.5% body weight. The finishing phase consisted of (1) no field peas or (2) field peas at 20% dry-matter basis. Strip loin samples were aged for 14 d and subjected to retail display for an additional 7 d. Tenderness via Warner-Bratzler Shear Force and Slice Shear Force, objective (L*, a*, and b*) and subjective color, lipid oxidation (thiobarbituric acid reactive substances), and fatty acid composition were evaluated. Dietary treatment had no effect on tenderness. Steak discoloration was low (<3%) for all treatments (P = 0.0209). Additionally, all objective color measurements displayed interactions between pasture and finishing diets (L*, P = 0.0035; a*, P = 0.0189; b*, P < 0.0001). These interactions were statistically significant, yet no consistent patterns among treatments could be identified. Similarly, the magnitude of difference would require extended aging periods to visually influence the color differences perceived by consumers. Beef finished with field peas had slightly greater lipid oxidation than samples from cattle not receiving field peas during finishing (1.56 vs. 1.44 mg malonaldehyde/ kg tissue, respectively; P = 0.0541). There was a significant interaction between pasture and finishing treatments for C15:1 (P = 0.0331), whereas feeding field peas during the pasture phase increased C18:2 (P = 0.0381) relative to cattle supplemented with corn; cattle without supplement in the pasture phase had intermediate amounts of C18:2. Total saturated, unsaturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated fatty acids (P > 0.05) were unaffected by dietary treatments. Field peas may be used for cattle with minimal negative impact on fresh meat quality.