EFFECT OF HYBRID TYPE AND AGEING TIME ON CARCASS COMPOSITION AND SENSORY ATTRIBUTES OF BEEF MEAT

Alina Narcisa Postolache, Şt. Creangă, Elena Ruginosu, D.L. Dascălu, S.I. Borş

Abstract
    This research is subscribed of an extensive project that has as main objective the production of crossbred specialized beef hybrids from reformed Romanian Black Spotted cattle's with bulls from breeds specialized in meat production (Blue Blanch Belgique, Aberdeen-Angus and Limousin). The obtained half-breeds products (fifteen bulls) were raised under semi-intensive conditions and slaughtered at 12 months of age. Vacuum packaged loin chops were aged for 1, 3, 5, 7, 11, and 15 days at 4°C and evaluated by a trained taste panel. Ageing time had the main influence in all the studied sensorial descriptors. Hybrid type did not affect fibrosity or overall flavor intensity. Interactions between hybrid type and ageing appeared in global odor intensity, tenderness and acid flavor intensity (P < 0.05). All hybrid types showed higher tenderness scores as ageing period increased.
    Our results showed that the existing variability in the ageing evolution of meat depends on hybrid type. Because tenderness has been the main sensory attribute influenced by ageing we suggest an early consumption of RBSxBBB hybrid type meat after slaughter and a larger period for RBSxAA and RBSxLi hybrid types to obtain an optimum tenderness value according to consumer expectations.

Key words: beef meat sensory quality, carcass quality