Summary Highlights Carcass Merit Study

For many years the beef industry has been on a mission to deliver consistently higher quality beef to consumers.   To communicate the results of one of these efforts, the Beef Checkoff Program has produced a brochure highlighting the Carcass Merit Project, a five year checkoff-funded study to assist cattlemen in identifying animals that can consistently produce carcass traits that make great beef.

The 14-page four color brochure, entitled “Finding Live Animal Traits for Better Beef,” communicates the results of the project in a succinct, easy-to-read format, explaining how and why the study was conducted, looking at the results and showing cattle breeders how they can use the results to improve the quality of their herds.

This five year study is working to help the industry ensure a pleasurable and consistent eating experience by looking for specific quality traits in animals, such as tenderness, juiciness, composition and overall palatability.  Ultimately, the industry will address these qualities not only through postmortem technology but through selective breeding.  The information will be a valuable tool for the further identification of genes and the development of commercially available gene tests for palatability traits.  

To obtain copies of the brochure, contact Elizabeth Dressler (Product Enhancement Research) by email at edressler@beef.org. The executive summary is also available as an easily downloaded PDF on the www.beef.org Web site under research, product enhancement.