The reviewed literature suggested that meat from cattle fattened on grass-based diets compared to grain based diets differ mostly in chemical composition. Beef from grassbased diets usually contains more antioxidants, vitamins, their precursors and less fat with improved fatty acid composition. Intramuscular fat usually contains slightly more saturated and less monounsaturated, and particularly more unsaturated fatty acids, vaccine, conjugated linoleic acid and n-3 fatty acids, and thus a more favorable, narrower n-6/n-3 ratio of fatty acids. A lower intramuscular fat content is often associated with a deterioration of the sensory properties of the meat, especially tenderness and juiciness. The modified fatty acid composition also affects meat aroma. The color of the meat can be more intensively red and yellow, which is undesirable for consumers; on the other hand, meat colour stability is improved, which is clearly positive. However, when interpreting these differences, we must be careful, as feed is one of many factors that influence meat characteristics. We must also consider other factors (breed, sex, age, body mass, handling of animals before slaughter and carcasses after slaughter) and their interactions, which affect meat characteristics and its quality.
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