# Meat Quality of Dairy and Dairy × Beef Steers Reared in Two Production Systems Based on Forages and Semi-Natural Pastures

## TL;DR

This study compares meat quality from dairy and crossbred steers raised in different grazing systems, finding that low-intensity systems improve fatty acid profiles without harming meat quality.

## Contribution

The study demonstrates that low-intensity grazing systems enhance unsaturated fatty acids in steer meat while maintaining sensory and technological meat quality.

## Key findings

- Meat from low-intensity system steers was darker and had higher unsaturated and omega-3 fatty acids.
- Crossbreed steers had coarser texture and acidic odor but higher omega-3 levels than purebred dairy steers.
- Technological and sensory meat traits were largely unaffected by breed or production system.

## Abstract

This study investigated how breed type and production system affect meat quality in steers raised on semi-natural pastures, which is essential for biodiversity. This research compared purebred dairy steers (D) and dairy × beef crossbreeds (C), each raised in either a high-intensity system (H) with one grazing season or a low-intensity system (L) with two grazing seasons. Meat from L steers was darker and had higher levels of beneficial unsaturated and omega-3 fatty acids. C steers showed slightly coarser muscle texture and a more acidic odour but had higher omega-3 levels than D steers. Meat quality traits such as tenderness and water-holding capacity were primarily unaffected by breed or system. Both breed types and systems produced comparable meat quality, but the L system offered nutritional benefits. These findings support the use of extensive grazing on biodiverse pastures as a sustainable beef production strategy that maintains meat quality while supporting biodiversity.

To safeguard an agricultural landscape with high biodiversity, livestock grazing on semi-natural pastures is crucial, and steers are well suited to such production systems. This study compared meat quality, including technological traits, sensory attributes, and fatty acid composition, of purebred dairy steers (D) and dairy × beef crossbreed steers (C), reared in two distinct production systems. Sixty-four steers (thirty-two per breed type) were included. Half were kept in a production system that had relatively high feed intensity (H), with one grazing summer on semi-natural pastures and slaughtered at 21 months of age. The other half were kept in a production system that had low feed intensity (L), with two grazing summers on semi-natural pastures and slaughtered at 28 months. Colour, water holding capacity, Warner–Bratzler shear force, sensory attributes, and fatty acid profiles were measured on the Musculus longissimus lumborum. Meat from L steers with two grazing seasons was darker (p = 0.003) and contained a higher proportion of unsaturated fatty acids (p = 0.006) than meat from more intensively reared H steers. Meat from C steers was perceived as having a coarser fibre structure (p = 0.022) with an acidic odour (p = 0.040) compared to D steers. Additionally, cooked meat from L steers was evaluated as having a pinker appearance by an analytical sensory panel (p = 0.008). In summary, breed type and production system had no major effect on technological and sensory attributes for forage and pasture-fed steers, but fatty acid composition was improved with more unsaturated lipids in meat from L steers.