Cattle type and liver abscess occurrence impact aged beef steak instrumental retail color and metabolomics

Beef color may be impacted by many factors, including inherent muscle composition, animal health, antemortem stress, and postmortem processes. The objectives of this study were to determine the associative effects of cattle genetics and liver abscess occurrence upon objective color stability of aged beef longissimus lumborum steaks in a simulated retail setting, and understand how postmortem muscle metabolism is impacted by cattle genetics and liver health. Strip loins (n = 44) were collected from the right side of cattle designated as either native beef or dairy-crosses (NAT or DX; n = 22/cattle type). Among cattle phenotypes, half of each set of carcasses were from animals having either a healthy, edible liver or a major liver abscess (n = 22/liver outcome; n = 11/cattle type-liver outcome combination). The first four anterior steaks were cut and randomly assigned to aging durations of 7, 21, 35, or 49 d, whereas the preceding wedge steak was removed and reserved for metabolomic analysis. Steaks were overwrapped at the completion of aging and evaluated for instrumental color (L*, a*, b*) during a 144-h simulated retail display. Steaks obtained from DX cattle provided a greater range of color measurements, whereas steaks of NAT cattle were intermediate of DX values. Steaks of DX cattle with an edible liver produced the lightest (P < 0.01) and least red (P < 0.01) colored steaks throughout display. Steaks of NAT cattle with an edible liver presented the highest (P < 0.01) mean redness value at 24 h of display. Steaks from cattle with a liver abscess sustained numerically higher a* values and oxymyoglobin percentages. As would be expected based upon prior literature, the longer the duration of age, the less red (P < 0.01) and most discolored (via greatest metmyoglobin percentage; P < 0.01) steaks measured. Numerous metabolic pathways (galactose, sucrose, and glutathione metabolism) contributory to glycolysis, indicative of metabolic or oxidative stress, were impacted (P < 0.01) by significantly different metabolites among categorical treatment effects, as well as branched-chain amino acid biosynthesis (P < 0.01), functional in protein synthesis. This study demonstrated the associative effects of liver abscess outcomes among native and dairy-cross cattle, along with differing postmortem aging times upon beef color and color stability. Likewise, minimizing steak age prior to retail display optimizes the ideal red color preferred by beef consumers.