Professional paper

Meat quality of Istrian cattle

mr. Nenad Cukon ; The Ministry of Agriculture, Fishing and Rural Development, Veterinary Directorate, Veterinary Offi ce Rijeka–branch offi ce Pazin
Željka Cvrtila Fleck ; University of Zagreb, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Hygiene, Technology and Food Safety, Heinzelova 55, Zagreb
Lidija Kozačinski ; University of Zagreb, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Hygiene, Technology and Food Safety, Heinzelova 55, Zagreb
Bela Njari ; University of Zagreb, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Hygiene, Technology and Food Safety, Heinzelova 55, Zagreb
Mario Bratulić ; Puris Pazin, Sv. Petar u šumi

Abstract

The goal of this work was to determine the beef meat quality of Istrian cattle using the chemical analyses’ results for the quality of
its meat. Five meat samples of Istrian cattle bull calves were sampled for the needs of chemical analyses at the end of fattening, at
23 months of age on average. The samples were sampled from m. longissimus dorsi (MLD) between the 7th and the 9th rib and
laboratory researches included the basic chemical research, collagen and hidroxyproline quantity and fatty acid content of lipids in
intramuscular fat in MLD. The obtained results have shown that the meat of Istrian cattle by its basic chemical composition did not
diff er from the content of meat of Simmental cattle, except in the fact that quantity of intramuscular fat was in average 0.94 ± 0.65 %,
which is almost three times lower than in Simmental cattle. The content of connective tissue in the meat of Istrian cattle is relatively
acceptable, where its quantity is in a positive correlation with meat tenderness. The results of fatty acid content of lipids in intramuscular
fat in the meat of Istrian cattle have shown a signifi cant quantity of saturated fatty acids (about 60%), which doesn’t give
this meat a complete nutritional advantage. But, from the point of view of sustainability and quality, because of that and a smaller
quantity of polyunsaturated fatty acids (2.41 ± 0.60%), such meat is less prone to auto oxidative changes in longer storage period or
during processing of meat to the assortment of meat products in sausage type. Overall, the obtained results of our research indicate
that the meat of Istrian cattle has a favorable quality for culinary preparation. Therefore, breeding and increasing self-sustainability
of this breed has the future. Due to the fact that the population of Istrian cattle of almost 40.000 individuals 50 years ago reduced to
only about 530 breeders suitable for breeding, most experts emphasize the signifi cance, value and need for that cattle breed to be preserved. Our researches’ results agree with it.

Keywords

meat quality; Istrian cattle; chemical composition; collagen and hidroxyproline; fatty acid content of lipids

Hrčak ID:

86058

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/86058

Publication date:

6.4.2012.

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