Electrostimulation of Beef Carcasses as a Tool for Optimizing Quality and Sustainability in the Meat Production Chain

• Grant number: 25/01005-3
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: August 01, 2025
• End date: July 31, 2028
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Animal Husbandry - Animal Production
• Principal Investigator: Saulo da Luz e Silva
• Grantee: Saulo da Luz e Silva
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Zootecnia e Engenharia de Alimentos (FZEA). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Pirassununga , SP, Brazil
• Associated researchers: Alessandra Fernandes Rosa ; David Edwin Gerrard ; Mariane Beline ; Nara Regina Brandão Cônsolo ; Patricia Maloso Ramos ; Paulo Roberto Leme

Abstract

Electrical stimulation (ES) of carcasses is a valuable tool for improving beef quality traits, particularly tenderness, a crucial aspect for Zebu-derived animals, which dominate the Brazilian cattle herd. This study will be conducted in three experiments with the following objectives: Experiment 1 - Establish the most effective ES protocol for enhancing beef quality, focusing on tenderness in Nelore cattle. Carcasses of 96 animals will be subjected to one of the following ES treatments approximately 30 minutes post-slaughter: control (no ES), fixed voltage of 120V, fixed voltage of 300V, fixed current of 0.5A, or fixed current of 1A. After cooling, meat samples will be collected to evaluate pH, color, shear force, cooking loss (at 0, 7, 14, and 21 days of aging), sarcomere length, and myofibrillar fragmentation index. Experiment 2 - Understand the mechanisms associated with postmortem metabolism and their contributions to meat tenderness. Samples from the carcass group that showed the best results in Experiment 1 will be used to analyze proteolytic activities in both postmortem and aged meat, including the activity of calpains 1 and 2, and metabolomic analyses. Experiment 3 - Evaluate the effect of ES on postmortem metabolism and beef quality traits in Nelore and Angus x Nelore cattle from different sexual categories. Carcasses from 36 male cattle (castrated [n=18] and non-castrated [n=18]) will be used, divided into Nelore (n=18) and Angus x Nelore (n=18) groups. Half of the carcasses will undergo ES (n=18 half-carcasses), and the other half will serve as controls (n=18 half-carcasses). Quality traits of fresh and aged meat will be assessed as described in Experiment 1, in addition to postmortem metabolism characteristics as outlined in Experiment 2. The results will enable the identification of the optimal ES configuration and its impact on postmortem metabolism across different genetic groups and sexual categories. This study is expected to contribute to improving the efficiency of the beef production chain, both in Brazil and globally, by promoting techniques that enhance production sustainability, reducing energy consumption during the aging process without compromising the final product quality. (AU)