Meat tenderness and palatability of Swamp buffalo and four breeds of cattle

ABSTRACT Samples of cooked muscle of Swamp buffalo, Hereford, Angus, Friesian and Charolais cross steers were sheared and scored by a taste panel for tenderness, flavour, juiciness and palatability. The cattle were given commercial pellets from 9 months of age to slaughter at 12,15 and 18 months. The buffaloes were fed one of four regimens: all pellets, all hay, 3/4 pellets and 1/4 hay or 1/4 pellets and 3/4 hay from 13 to 22 months of age to slaughter at 20 to 34 months. There was little difference between the buffaloes and the cattle in shear-force or taste panel scores. Age at slaughter had no significant effect on the quality traits measured in either the buffaloes or the cattle. The feeding regime did not influence the tenderness, flavour or palatability of buffalo muscle but the high pellet diets increased juiciness. Shear-force was not influenced by rectal or muscle temperatures, muscle pH, carcass weight or fatness in the buffaloes but fatness reduced shear-force in cattle m. longissimus. Buffalo intramuscular fat increased with age and carcass fatness but had no effect on shear-force or taste panel score.