New ‘Muscle Profiling’ Research Aims to Increase Cow Meat Value

Beef from fed cattle is frequently used differently than beef from cull cows and bulls.  That’s why the industry, through the beef checkoff, recently completed the “Cow Muscle Profiling” project, a follow-up to successful muscle research on beef steers and heifers.

The research catalogs information on potentially valuable cow muscles so that processors can make informed decisions and increase the value throughout the cow beef production system.  It’s a culmination of more than two years of planning and projects coordinated on behalf of the Cattlemen’s Beef Board and state beef councils by the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA).

Today muscles from the cull cow and bull market – which represents from 18 to 25 percent of total U.S. beef production – are used for more than just the middle meats, according to the National Market Cow and Bull Beef Quality Audit, also funded through the beef checkoff.  Cows represent more than 90 percent of this beef source. 

Beef from these animals is used to produce subprimals, lean beef and beef trimmings.  These cuts go into both whole muscle cuts and further processed items.

Yet until now little has been known about the muscles from these cuts, according to Bucky Gwartney, Ph.D., director of research and technical services for NCBA.  This new research, performed at the University of Nebraska and the University of Florida, characterizes the individual muscles in market cows and helps differentiate their value in the beef carcass.

More than 3,300 individual muscles were evaluated in the research for traits such as shear force (for tenderness estimation), fat and moisture composition, dimensional data, color, pH, water holding capacity, collagen analysis and heme-iron concentration.  Sensory testing was also conducted.

Even though a large and highly variable population was chosen, the research found that muscle traits varied across the population less than was expected.  Muscle tenderness is one of the most important traits, and five of the 21 muscles were considered tender when evaluated by shear force testing.  Three muscles were moderately tender.

In addition, many of the muscles evaluated were considered lean, with less than 5 percent fat.  The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) definition of “Lean” is less than 10 grams of fat, 4.5 grams or less of saturated fat and 95 milligrams of cholesterol per 100 gram serving.

“This kind of research will help us expand our utilization of the beef carcass,” said Bill Nice, a beef producer from Morrison, Ill., and vice chairman of the industry’s Joint Product Enhancement Subcommittee.  “Cattle producers benefit from this effort as a result of the increased demand generated for more parts of the animal.”

According to Gwartney, information from this research will be distributed to the market cow industry, and address possible market cow grading standards and ways to upgrade muscles that lend themselves to more value in the market cow chain.

A manual has been developed, including all the summary data and relevant photos from the project.  A CD-ROM containing the raw data, as well as other information such as fabrication videos and 3-dimensional views of the cow carcass and its cuts, is also being produced.  For more information, contact the NCBA Research and Knowledge Management Department at 303/694-0305.