Meat quality characteristics based on genetic selection of Nellore cattle for tenderness

• Grant number: 25/02491-9
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: July 01, 2025
• End date: June 30, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Animal Husbandry - Animal Production
• Principal Investigator: Nara Regina Brandão Cônsolo
• Grantee: Maria Angélica dos Santos
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia (FMVZ). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: Instituto De Matemática E Estatística, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 20/08845-3 - The metabolomic approach to improve Nellore beef tenderness: a concept of metabotype and biomarkers, AP.JP

Abstract

Brazil is one of the largest producers and exporters of beef, but meat quality, especially tenderness, directly impacts competitiveness in the global market. Meat from Nelore cattle, the predominant breed in Brazil, is naturally less tender compared to taurine cattle. However, studies indicate a large genetic variability within the breed for this characteristic, making it possible to identify Nelore animals with more tender meat. Tenderness is the most important sensory characteristic for consumers, who are willing to pay more for better quality meat, a fact that influences the profitability of the industry. Thus, genetic improvement for this characteristic has advanced significantly in order to identify animals as potential breeders, in order to improve the tenderness of the herd. The Expected Progeny Difference (EPD) is an important tool that has been used to select bulls with better genetic potential based on the characteristics of their progeny. However, it is uncommon to study how genetic selection for meat tenderness can influence other quality characteristics, such as cooking losses, color, myofibrillar fragmentation index, sarcomere length, loin eye area and subcutaneous fat thickness. In this sense, the objective of this proposal is to evaluate several meat quality parameters based on genetic selection for tenderness in Nellore bulls finished in a confinement system.