The Problem of Dark-Cutting in Beef

This publication contains the proceedings of a seminar 'The problems of dark-cutting in beef' held by the Commission of the European Communities (CEC) at the Commission in Brussels on 7 and 8 October 1980. As part of the CEC programme of coordination of agricultural research, this meeting was organised in the framework of the beef and animal welfare activities by Dr. D.E. Hood and Dr. P.V. Tarrant, Meat Research Department, An Faras Taluntais. Dunsinea, Castleknock, Dublin, Ireland. The proceedings, edited by the organisers assisted by Janssen Services, 33a, High Street, Chislehurst, Kent, UK, provide an authoritative text-book on this important aspect of meat technology. Reduction of pre-slaughter stress and improvement in carcass and meat quality is becoming increasingly important in the international meat trade. This results in particular from growing consumer concern about the welfare of meat animals during the pre-slaughter period and from specific meat packaging and marketing requirements. Technical development of the beef processing industry is dependent on a uniformly high level of meat quality in the raw material.

Inhalt

Session I: Quality Aspects.- The Occurrence, Causes and Economic Consequences of Dark-Cutting in Beef - A Survey of Current Information.- Discussion.- Beef Quality, Marketing and the Consumer.- Discussion.- Session II: Muscle Metabolism and Animal Physiology.- Muscle Metabolic Type and the DFD Condition.- Discussion.- Control Mechanisms for the Enzymes of Glycogen Metabolism in Muscle.- Discussion.- Characteristics of the Metabolism of Carbohydrate in Ruminants Compared with other Mammals.- Discussion.- Session III: Animal Behaviour and the Environment.- Environmental and Behavioural Influences on the Supply of Energy for Muscle during Life and Consequences Post Mortem.- Behaviour of Domestic Cattle under Modern Management Techniques.- Discussion.- Animal Welfare in Relation to Transport, Lairage and Slaughter in Cattle (A Review).- Discussion.- Session IV: Genetic Influences on Meat Quality.- Hereditary Aspects of Susceptibility to Stress in Meat Animals.- Discussion.- Double-Muscling and Sensitivity to Stress.- Discussion.- Session V: Identification and Prevention of Dark-Cutting.- Preventive Treatments during the Pre-Slaughter Period.- Discussion.- Early Identification of the DFD Condition in Pre-Rigor Beef Carcasses.- Discussion.- Electrical Stimulation of Ante Mortem Stressed Beef.- Discussion.- Animal Stress and its Effect on Rigor Mortis Development in Labs.- Discussion.- Identification and Minimisation of DFD in Young Bulls in Denmark.- Discussion.- Session VI: Microbiological, Technological and Organoleptic Properties.- Microbiology of DFD Beef.- Discussion.- Translucency and Colour Defects of Dark-Cutting Meat and their Detection.- Discussion.- Eating Quality of DFD Beef.- Discussion.- Practical Aspects of the Use of Dark Firm Dry (DFD) Meat.- Discussion.- Poster Presentations.- Influence of Holding Animals before Slaughtering.- Post Mortem Muscle Biochemistry and Beef Quality.- Influence of Temperature, Fasting and Transportation.- Effects of Transportation and Pre-Slaughter Holding on Some Blood Parameters and on Meat Quality in Fattening Bulls.- Development of Special Feeds for Young Bulls Kept in Overnight Lairages.- Selective Glycogen Depletion and Recovery in Skeletal Muscles Fibre Types of Young Bulls Subjected to a Behavioural Stress.- The Breakdown of Muscle Glycogen during Behavioural Stress in Normal and Beta-Adrenoreceptor Blocked Young Bulls.- Factors Influencing Muscle Glycogen Synthesis after Adrenaline Induced Depletion in Beef Heifers.- Some Odours Produced by Bacteria on High pH and Normal Beef.- The Incidence of Dark-Cutting Beef in Young Bulls in Finland.- The Use of Freeze-Drying in Investigations on the Microbiology of Vacuum-Packed DFD Beef.- Poster Discussion.- Summary.- Summary.- List of Participants.