Beef quality in Bos indicus cattle: biological markers for meat attributes in diferent ultimate pH ranges

• Grant number: 23/02590-1
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• Start date: May 01, 2023
• End date: June 30, 2024
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Animal Husbandry
• Principal Investigator: Júlio Cesar de Carvalho Balieiro
• Grantee: Cristina Tschorny Moncau Gadbem
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia (FMVZ). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 17/26667-2 - Beef quality in Bos indicus cattle: biological markers for meat attributes in different ultimate pH ranges, AP.TEM

Abstract

The world beef production chain has been directed to explore consumer demands, which are increasingly requiring product quality, variety and safety. In this scenario, the Brazilian beef production has a challenge in focusing on competitivity and modernity, using technology as a way that leads to sustainability, ethics and profit. However, there is a lack of information about the quality standards and critical points based on categories formed by the product characteristics originated from the Brazilian beef production. The obtaintion of those characteristics will allow development of alternatives to mitigate quality problems in the production and product, as well as identification of limitations in the production systems. The general objetives are: physical-chemical and microbiological characterization based on variation in a primary meat quality attribute, represented by different ultimate pH ranges, determined in the Longissimus dorsi at 48 hours post-mortem. Samples from the different pH ranges (normal, intermediate and high) will be characterized by determination of: muscle glycogen and mitochondrial energy metabolism, water holding capacity, shear force, proteolytic processes, proteome, color and pigment state, protein and lipid oxidation and anti-oxidants enzyme activities, impact of succinate injection and packaging under modified atmosphere, as well as consumer based sensory and marketing analyses. Furthermore, Longissimus dorsi, Psoas major and Gluteus medius will be sampled to determine volatile compounds, fatty acid profile, as well as for microbiological to verify off-flavor perception. and L. dorsi for sensory analyses . The informations will be useful for designing decision making models about meat quality programs associated with productive efficiency, with emphasis in decreasing losses and, increased safety and added-value. The project will allow improvements in methods and techniques to predict meat quality and strengthning of the research group about beef production. Overall, those contributions will result in advances in Brazilian meat science and technical scientific education. (AU)