The quality of beef depends on a number of intrinsic characteristics (chemical composition, technological, sensoric and microbiological characteristics of the meat) and extrinsic characteristics (the origin of the animal and farming method). All these characteristics are connected to and dependent upon the breed, gender, feed, age or body mass of the animal at the time of slaughter and different procedures before, during and after the slaughter. Ecological farming methods are based on grazing and home-produced feed, resulting either in a smaller growth and older age of the animal or lower body mass and lower degree of fat cover at the time of slaughter. The meat of these animals is darker in colour due to the increased concentration of myoglobin in their muscle tissue, which often deters consumers from buying the meat, since consumers are more likely to buy meat of a less intense red colour. A high concentration of beta carotene in the feed of grazing animals can affect the presence of yellow fat tissue in the meat. The older age of the animal and lower degree of fat cover are often connected with increased toughness and decreased juiciness of the meat. We have also found research data that suggests ecologically farmed meat in some cases contained more fat. Since ecological farming is connected with grazing, ecologically farmed meat consequently has an altered fatty acid composition. Green feed contains a high concentration of alpha-linolenic acid, which is a basic n-3 fatty acid, which is reflected in an increased concentration of n-3 fatty acids in the meat as well as in an altered ratio of n-3 versus n-6 fatty acids.
|
