This study investigated the use of stress-related blood biomarkers (cortisol, creatine kinase - CK, and lactate dehydrogenase - LDH) and infrared thermography (IRT) to predict meat quality in Nellore cattle under tropical conditions. These biomarkers reflect metabolic and stress pathways that influence muscle glycogen depletion before slaughter, contributing to elevated pHu and increased dark, firm, and dry (DFD) incidence. A total of 389 bulls from seven batches on the same farm were assessed at slaughter. Carcasses were classified by ultimate pH (pHu) as normal (pHu 0.8) between cortisol, glucose, lactate, and pHu. We conclude that integrating blood biomarker analysis (specifically cortisol, glucose, and lactate) and IRT offers a practical tool for the early identification of DFD carcasses, which could enhance quality management in the beef industry.
Ferreira et al. (Thu,) studied this question.